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  BIRDS. 
  

  

  how 
  long 
  after 
  they 
  were 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  neighbourhood, 
  though 
  we 
  

   heard 
  of 
  some 
  there 
  in 
  1887. 
  Two 
  Quails 
  were 
  killed 
  at 
  Eose- 
  

   haugh 
  in 
  1882, 
  and 
  in 
  September 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  year 
  one 
  was 
  killed 
  

   near 
  Tain. 
  Another 
  was 
  killed 
  at 
  Ardross 
  on 
  October 
  2nd, 
  1889. 
  

   The 
  year 
  1893, 
  with 
  its 
  exceptionally 
  dry 
  spring 
  and 
  summer 
  (of 
  

   which 
  we 
  have 
  before 
  spoken 
  in 
  our 
  introductory 
  chapters, 
  proved 
  

   to 
  be 
  a 
  great 
  Quail 
  year 
  at 
  many 
  usually 
  frequented 
  Quail 
  haunts 
  

   upon 
  our 
  coasts. 
  Especially 
  were 
  they 
  in 
  evidence 
  in 
  the 
  district 
  

   of 
  * 
  Forth 
  ' 
  around 
  Edinburgh, 
  as 
  recorded 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Wm. 
  Evans 
  

   in 
  The 
  Annals 
  of 
  Scottish 
  Natural 
  History, 
  October 
  1893, 
  and 
  

   doubtless, 
  were 
  a 
  special 
  inquiry 
  instituted, 
  these 
  birds 
  would 
  

   be 
  found 
  to 
  have 
  visited 
  many 
  other 
  favourite 
  localities 
  in 
  un- 
  

   usual 
  numbers. 
  

  

  Judging 
  from 
  the 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  note 
  given 
  us 
  by 
  a 
  friend, 
  

   it 
  would 
  appear 
  that 
  Quails 
  were 
  heard 
  at 
  Culgower, 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  

   coast 
  of 
  Sutherland, 
  in 
  July 
  1893. 
  The 
  same 
  year 
  two 
  were 
  shot 
  

   within 
  a 
  few 
  days 
  of 
  each 
  other 
  at 
  Moniack 
  Castle, 
  near 
  Beauly, 
  

   in 
  the 
  first 
  week 
  in 
  August. 
  Another 
  was 
  killed 
  at 
  Fortrose 
  at 
  

   the 
  same 
  time 
  by 
  General 
  D. 
  Macintyre, 
  V.C. 
  ; 
  and 
  yet 
  another 
  

   at 
  Clachnaharry, 
  Inverness, 
  about 
  August 
  24th 
  of 
  that 
  year. 
  

   Quails 
  were 
  particularly 
  abundant 
  in 
  Glen 
  Urquhart 
  that 
  same 
  

   season, 
  as 
  we 
  are 
  informed 
  by 
  residents 
  there 
  — 
  by 
  Major 
  Grant, 
  

   Glen 
  Urquhart, 
  and 
  others. 
  

  

  The 
  O.S.A. 
  only 
  speaks 
  of 
  Kirkhill 
  as 
  a 
  locality 
  for 
  Quail, 
  and 
  

   the 
  New 
  Statistical 
  Account 
  says 
  they 
  are 
  frequently 
  shot 
  in 
  

   Ardersier 
  parish, 
  where 
  young 
  broods 
  are 
  sometimes 
  hatched 
  out 
  

   {op. 
  cit 
  xiv. 
  p. 
  460). 
  

  

  St. 
  John, 
  though 
  he 
  never 
  found 
  their 
  nest, 
  used 
  to 
  hear 
  their 
  

   call-note 
  every 
  season 
  in 
  May 
  and 
  June, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  to 
  see 
  them 
  

   in 
  the 
  young 
  grass 
  and 
  corn. 
  Scarcely 
  a 
  shooting 
  season 
  passes, 
  

   he 
  adds, 
  without 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  being 
  shot, 
  especially 
  about 
  Duffus. 
  

   One 
  was 
  killed 
  near 
  Cawdor 
  in 
  December. 
  

  

  They 
  breed 
  occasionally 
  on 
  Mr. 
  Mackessack's 
  ground 
  near 
  

   Forres. 
  Harvie-Brown 
  saw 
  eggs 
  in 
  his 
  possession, 
  taken 
  upon 
  his 
  

   farm, 
  Newton 
  Struthers, 
  near 
  Forres. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Duff 
  and 
  several 
  other 
  sportsmen 
  find 
  it 
  annually 
  in 
  the 
  

   neighbourhood 
  of 
  Elgin 
  {Fauna 
  of 
  Moray). 
  It 
  is, 
  however, 
  of 
  

   only 
  very 
  rare 
  occurrence 
  near 
  Forres, 
  as 
  we 
  are 
  assured 
  by 
  

   Brown, 
  who 
  preserved 
  one 
  about 
  1885, 
  which 
  was 
  struck 
  down 
  

  

  