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  BIRDS. 
  

  

  We 
  need 
  scarcely 
  point 
  out 
  that 
  these 
  Findhorn 
  or 
  Culbin 
  Sands 
  

   records 
  indicate 
  a 
  different 
  breeding 
  quarter 
  from 
  the 
  occurrences 
  

   farther 
  inland 
  to 
  the 
  east. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  frequently 
  killed 
  in 
  Strath- 
  

   dearn 
  and 
  Badenoch 
  by 
  sportsmen. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  J. 
  G. 
  Phillip 
  records 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  hills 
  around 
  Glen 
  Livet, 
  

   but 
  as 
  rare, 
  and 
  Hinxman 
  finds 
  it 
  in 
  small 
  parties 
  on 
  the 
  moors 
  

   near 
  Tomintoul 
  in 
  October. 
  

  

  Specimens 
  of 
  the 
  Dotterel 
  were 
  sent 
  to 
  Macleay 
  from 
  Carr 
  

   Bridge 
  in 
  1851. 
  Mr. 
  Backhouse 
  informs 
  us 
  he 
  saw 
  five 
  in 
  one 
  

   day 
  on* 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  hills 
  on 
  the 
  watershed 
  of 
  our 
  area, 
  in 
  1885. 
  

   Mr. 
  W. 
  Evans 
  met 
  with 
  the 
  Dotterel 
  several 
  times 
  in 
  small 
  

   parties 
  on 
  the 
  Cairngorms, 
  but 
  never 
  under 
  3000 
  feet. 
  No 
  less 
  

   than 
  fourteen 
  were 
  seen 
  together 
  on 
  one 
  occasion. 
  

  

  Of 
  its 
  distribution 
  in 
  the 
  breeding 
  season 
  north 
  of 
  Spey, 
  we 
  

   have 
  still 
  to 
  obtain 
  data 
  of 
  more 
  reliable 
  character, 
  but 
  we 
  believe 
  

   there 
  is 
  every 
  reason 
  to 
  credit 
  at 
  least 
  one 
  locality. 
  

  

  Although 
  both 
  parent 
  birds 
  of 
  the 
  nest 
  whence 
  Colonel 
  Feilden 
  

   and 
  Harvie-Brown 
  took 
  the 
  eggs 
  in 
  1873 
  were 
  shot 
  in 
  a 
  sub- 
  

   sequent 
  season, 
  and 
  sent, 
  with 
  the 
  eggs, 
  to 
  the 
  late 
  Dr. 
  Dewar 
  

   of 
  Glasgow, 
  we 
  are 
  glad 
  to 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  the 
  species 
  is 
  not 
  

   yet 
  extinct 
  there. 
  A 
  pair 
  bred 
  in 
  1892, 
  and 
  again 
  in 
  1893, 
  in 
  

   both 
  of 
  which 
  years 
  the 
  eggs 
  were 
  taken, 
  and 
  in 
  1892 
  — 
  sad 
  to 
  

   relate 
  — 
  again 
  both 
  birds 
  were 
  shot, 
  and, 
  along 
  with 
  the 
  eggs, 
  are 
  

   in 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  an 
  English 
  gentleman 
  who, 
  owing 
  to 
  illness, 
  

   had 
  failed 
  to 
  obtain 
  them 
  the 
  year 
  before. 
  We 
  are 
  glad 
  to 
  say 
  

   the 
  old 
  birds 
  were 
  not 
  molested 
  in 
  1893. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Chisholm 
  writes 
  us 
  from 
  Foyers 
  that 
  the 
  Dotterel 
  un- 
  

   doubtedly 
  nests 
  on 
  the 
  Monadhliath, 
  and 
  is 
  well 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  

   keepers 
  in 
  that 
  district. 
  Mr. 
  Chisholm 
  gives 
  the 
  Gaelic 
  name 
  as 
  

   An 
  damatan 
  moulich 
  — 
  or 
  ' 
  the 
  fool 
  of 
  the 
  moss,' 
  and 
  says 
  he 
  

   never 
  met 
  with 
  them 
  except 
  on 
  the 
  very 
  highest 
  tops 
  ; 
  the 
  birds 
  

   would 
  often 
  allow 
  his 
  dogs 
  to 
  approach 
  within 
  five 
  yards 
  of 
  them 
  

   before 
  moving. 
  The 
  same 
  person 
  also 
  remarks 
  that 
  the 
  Dotterel 
  

   is 
  very 
  useful 
  to 
  the 
  keepers 
  watching 
  at 
  the 
  fox-dens 
  in 
  the 
  high 
  

   hills 
  in 
  the 
  late 
  evening 
  and 
  early 
  morning. 
  If 
  the 
  old 
  dog 
  or 
  

   vixen 
  fox 
  is 
  moving 
  about, 
  the 
  Dotterel 
  will 
  very 
  soon 
  detect 
  

   him, 
  and 
  fly 
  from 
  one 
  hillock 
  to 
  another, 
  whistling 
  low; 
  as 
  the 
  

   fox 
  comes 
  nearer 
  the 
  whistling 
  becomes 
  louder, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  time 
  for 
  

   the 
  watcher 
  to 
  be 
  ready. 
  

  

  