﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  155 
  

  

  out 
  of 
  the 
  gizzards 
  of 
  some 
  sent 
  to 
  France 
  to 
  Monsieur 
  

  

  in 
  November 
  1815. 
  The 
  leaves 
  were 
  sent 
  back 
  to 
  Gordon 
  

   Castle 
  to 
  ascertain 
  what 
  plant 
  they 
  belonged 
  to.' 
  

  

  Edward 
  says; 
  — 
  'Less 
  frequent 
  than 
  Grouse 
  and 
  black 
  game 
  

   in 
  his 
  district 
  : 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  higher 
  districts.' 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  reported 
  as 
  breeding 
  in 
  small 
  numbers 
  on 
  the 
  rounded 
  

   mossy 
  hills 
  of 
  the 
  Glen 
  Fiddich 
  deer 
  forest 
  and 
  Carn 
  district 
  

   generally, 
  amongst 
  scaurs 
  and 
  wind-swept 
  patches, 
  denuded 
  of 
  the 
  

   shallow 
  skin 
  of 
  soil 
  and 
  heather, 
  which 
  occur 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  on 
  

   the 
  higher 
  and 
  steeper 
  slopes. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  doubt 
  it 
  breeds 
  

   regularly 
  on 
  Ben 
  Rinnes. 
  In 
  1884 
  about 
  three 
  brace 
  were 
  shot 
  

   there 
  by 
  the 
  lessee's 
  party, 
  and 
  a 
  lot 
  or 
  covey 
  of 
  about 
  fourteen 
  

   birds 
  was 
  regularly 
  seen. 
  Amongst 
  the 
  lower 
  hills 
  of 
  the 
  Carn 
  

   District 
  of 
  Spey, 
  however, 
  it 
  is 
  certainly 
  rare. 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  G. 
  Phillips, 
  

   sometime 
  Curator 
  of 
  the 
  Elgin 
  Museum, 
  and 
  author 
  of 
  many 
  

   delightful 
  sketches 
  of 
  local 
  interest, 
  says 
  : 
  — 
  it 
  is 
  1 
  somewhat 
  rare 
  

   amongst 
  the 
  hills 
  of 
  Glenlivet' 
  (Elgin 
  Courant). 
  As 
  early 
  as 
  

   1844, 
  Dr. 
  Gordon 
  spoke 
  of 
  the 
  Ptarmigan 
  as 
  occurring 
  on 
  Ben 
  

   Rinnes 
  and 
  all 
  the 
  high 
  summits 
  from 
  2000 
  to 
  4000 
  feet 
  (Fauna 
  of 
  

   Moray) 
  — 
  a 
  general 
  distribution 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  quite 
  possible 
  was 
  cor- 
  

   rectly 
  described 
  when 
  he 
  wrote. 
  At 
  the 
  present 
  day 
  it 
  requires, 
  

   perhaps, 
  some 
  slight 
  modification. 
  

  

  They 
  are 
  still, 
  no 
  doubt, 
  abundant 
  on 
  the 
  high 
  ranges 
  of 
  the 
  

   Cairngorms, 
  and 
  on 
  all, 
  or 
  nearly 
  all, 
  of 
  the 
  hills 
  which 
  compose 
  

   the 
  range, 
  but 
  when 
  we 
  come 
  to 
  the 
  lower 
  elevations, 
  say 
  down 
  

   to 
  2000 
  feet 
  — 
  or 
  the 
  earns 
  of 
  the 
  Carn 
  District 
  of 
  Spey 
  or 
  of 
  Find- 
  

   horn, 
  or 
  the 
  lower 
  ridges 
  of 
  the 
  Monadhliath, 
  such 
  a 
  general 
  

   distribution 
  can 
  scarcely 
  now 
  be 
  held 
  to 
  be 
  maintained. 
  There 
  

   are 
  certainly 
  a 
  few 
  on 
  the 
  quiet 
  and 
  undisturbed 
  ridges 
  of 
  the 
  

   Glen 
  Fiddich 
  and 
  Blackwater 
  forests. 
  Curiously, 
  they 
  appear 
  to 
  

   have 
  deserted 
  the 
  Buck 
  of 
  Cabrach 
  (2368 
  feet), 
  whilst 
  still 
  occupy- 
  

   ing 
  hills 
  of 
  considerably 
  lower 
  altitudes. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  J. 
  O. 
  Wilson 
  says 
  he 
  is 
  not 
  aware 
  that 
  it 
  'occurs 
  on 
  

   any 
  of 
  the 
  hills 
  of 
  the 
  drainage 
  area 
  of 
  Bogie 
  or 
  Deveron. 
  

   Hinxman 
  speaks 
  of 
  it 
  as 
  occurring 
  on 
  Morven 
  ; 
  and, 
  since 
  he 
  told 
  

   us 
  the 
  above, 
  he 
  has 
  been 
  assured 
  by 
  the 
  Clachandarroch 
  keepers 
  

   that 
  they 
  sometimes 
  occur 
  on 
  the 
  Tap 
  o' 
  Noth 
  ; 
  but 
  apparently 
  

   only 
  specimens 
  in 
  winter 
  plumage 
  have 
  been 
  obtained, 
  or 
  are 
  in 
  

   evidence. 
  Sim 
  has 
  also 
  obtained 
  specimens 
  from 
  Bennachie 
  — 
  of 
  

  

  