﻿156 
  

  

  BIRDS. 
  

  

  similar 
  or 
  approximate 
  height 
  with 
  Tap 
  o' 
  Noth. 
  They 
  occur 
  

   also 
  on 
  the 
  higher 
  ridges 
  of 
  the 
  Cromdale 
  hills, 
  but 
  whether 
  as 
  

   breeding 
  birds 
  or 
  autumn 
  or 
  winter 
  vagrants 
  we 
  cannot 
  say. 
  

   There 
  is 
  scarcely 
  any 
  doubt, 
  however, 
  that 
  a 
  few 
  do 
  breed 
  in 
  

   the 
  Cam 
  districts, 
  and 
  that 
  they 
  vagrate 
  out 
  to 
  surrounding 
  

   hills. 
  

  

  Of 
  their 
  distribution 
  among 
  the 
  higher 
  mountains 
  where 
  every- 
  

   thing 
  is 
  suited 
  to 
  their 
  necessities, 
  it 
  is 
  scarcely 
  necessary 
  to 
  enter 
  

   into 
  details. 
  Their 
  distribution 
  is 
  general 
  over 
  all 
  these 
  ranges, 
  

   and 
  perhaps 
  nowhere 
  in 
  broad 
  Scotland 
  are 
  they 
  anywhere 
  more 
  

   abundant, 
  and 
  also, 
  perhaps, 
  less 
  disturbed, 
  than 
  on 
  the 
  vast 
  ranges 
  

   of 
  the 
  Cairngorms. 
  

  

  Family 
  PHASIANIDJE. 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  colchicus, 
  L. 
  Pheasant. 
  

  

  Common 
  wherever 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  suits 
  these 
  birds, 
  and 
  

   where 
  they 
  are 
  afforded 
  proper 
  protection 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  being 
  hand- 
  

   reared. 
  Being 
  great 
  wanderers, 
  they 
  appear 
  at 
  times 
  in 
  curious 
  

   places. 
  Thus 
  they 
  are 
  occasionally 
  shot 
  at 
  Heatherley, 
  close 
  to 
  

   the 
  town 
  of 
  Inverness, 
  and 
  even 
  in 
  the 
  garden 
  of 
  the 
  Bishop's 
  

   Palace, 
  as 
  Mr. 
  Formby, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  College 
  masters, 
  informs 
  us 
  

   (19/xi/89). 
  

  

  Pheasants, 
  however, 
  do 
  not 
  flourish 
  any 
  distance 
  up 
  a 
  High- 
  

   land 
  strath, 
  or 
  where 
  hand-rearing 
  is 
  not 
  practised, 
  unless 
  the 
  cover 
  

   and 
  feeding 
  are 
  exceptionally 
  good. 
  Thus 
  they 
  have 
  practically 
  

   died 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  Helmsdale 
  strath, 
  where 
  we 
  can 
  remember 
  them 
  

   as 
  being 
  quite 
  common. 
  Two 
  years 
  or 
  so 
  ago 
  we 
  used 
  to 
  see 
  about 
  

   three 
  hens 
  in 
  one 
  spot, 
  but 
  no 
  cock 
  ; 
  at 
  Suisgill, 
  higher 
  up 
  the 
  

   same 
  strath, 
  they 
  are 
  quite 
  extinct. 
  The 
  same 
  thing 
  has 
  happened 
  

   at 
  Rosehall, 
  where 
  a 
  few 
  were 
  introduced 
  about 
  1875. 
  

  

  Pheasants 
  are 
  found 
  about 
  Tain, 
  though 
  we 
  know 
  of 
  no 
  hand- 
  

   rearing 
  in 
  that 
  direction, 
  probably 
  stragglers 
  from 
  Tarbert 
  and 
  

   Balnagown. 
  They 
  are 
  abundant 
  at 
  Fairburn, 
  Beauly, 
  Guis- 
  

   achan, 
  Glenurquhart 
  and 
  Invergarry, 
  in 
  all 
  of 
  which 
  places 
  they 
  

   are 
  reared 
  and 
  well 
  looked 
  after. 
  

  

  The 
  O.S.A. 
  is 
  suggestively 
  silent 
  as 
  regards 
  the 
  species 
  within 
  

   the 
  boundaries 
  of 
  Deveron 
  or 
  of 
  Moray 
  faunal 
  area, 
  but 
  the 
  fact 
  

  

  