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  BIRDS. 
  

  

  Kecords 
  in 
  the 
  O.S.A. 
  are 
  a 
  little 
  vague, 
  but 
  may 
  generally 
  be 
  

   accepted. 
  Localities 
  given 
  are 
  Cabrach 
  (U. 
  D), 
  Grange 
  (L. 
  D.), 
  

   Kirkhill 
  (N.W. 
  Moray), 
  Rothiemurchus, 
  and 
  Duthil 
  (Spey), 
  and 
  

   it 
  is 
  included 
  in 
  most 
  local 
  lists 
  either 
  as 
  breediug 
  or 
  passing 
  down 
  

   to 
  the 
  shores 
  in 
  stormy 
  weather 
  to 
  the 
  feeding-grounds. 
  

  

  Though 
  not 
  very 
  abundant, 
  the 
  species 
  is 
  generally 
  distributed 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  areas 
  suitable 
  to 
  their 
  habits. 
  A 
  few 
  were 
  observed 
  

   to 
  be 
  nesting 
  pretty 
  low 
  down 
  on 
  Dunbennan 
  Hill, 
  near 
  Huntly, 
  

   and 
  a 
  nest 
  was 
  found 
  by 
  ourselves 
  there 
  in 
  1889. 
  Dr. 
  J. 
  O. 
  

   Wilson, 
  however, 
  whose 
  local 
  knowledge 
  is 
  exact, 
  speaks 
  of 
  it 
  as 
  

   abundant 
  on 
  the 
  hills 
  of 
  Middle 
  Deveron. 
  

  

  Hinxman 
  found 
  Golden 
  Plovers 
  in 
  flocks 
  at 
  Nethy 
  on 
  May 
  

   18th 
  (1891), 
  but 
  this 
  was 
  immediately 
  after 
  the 
  severe 
  snow-storm 
  

   of 
  the 
  17th, 
  which 
  was 
  universal 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  country 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  

   Grampians. 
  At 
  Rothiemay 
  the 
  snow 
  stuck 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  

   chimneys, 
  with 
  a 
  heavy 
  drift, 
  to 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  six 
  inches. 
  

  

  A 
  Mr. 
  Bill, 
  who 
  is 
  still 
  alive, 
  told 
  Captain 
  Dunbar-Brander 
  

   that 
  on 
  one 
  occasion 
  he 
  had 
  a 
  shot 
  at 
  Golden 
  Plover 
  sitting 
  on 
  a 
  

   large 
  slab 
  of 
  ice, 
  and 
  that 
  he 
  got 
  146 
  birds 
  at 
  one 
  discharge. 
  

   There 
  were 
  some 
  hundreds 
  of 
  birds, 
  and 
  ' 
  every 
  pellet 
  would 
  tell 
  

   perhaps 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  times' 
  (Captain 
  Dunbar-Brander, 
  in 
  lit. 
  

   March 
  1892). 
  

  

  Squatarola 
  helvetica 
  (£.). 
  Grey 
  Plover. 
  

  

  A 
  very 
  rare 
  bird 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  Ness, 
  from 
  our 
  own 
  and 
  others' 
  observa- 
  

   tions. 
  Even 
  on 
  the 
  Dornoch 
  Firth, 
  which 
  seems 
  so 
  suited 
  to 
  its 
  

   requirements, 
  Mr. 
  Jennings 
  says 
  it 
  is 
  an 
  uncommon 
  winter 
  visitant. 
  

  

  0. 
  A. 
  J. 
  Lee 
  maintains 
  having 
  seen 
  a 
  pair 
  among 
  a 
  large 
  flock 
  

   of 
  Golden 
  Plovers 
  on 
  August 
  24th, 
  1887. 
  

  

  Edward 
  says, 
  1 
  Rather 
  rare.' 
  It 
  was 
  noticed 
  by 
  Foljambe 
  in 
  1 
  844, 
  

   but 
  St. 
  John 
  passes 
  it 
  over 
  in 
  silence. 
  Brown 
  records 
  it 
  as 
  ' 
  com- 
  

   mon, 
  but 
  not 
  abundant,' 
  in 
  1885. 
  Specimens 
  occur 
  in 
  Banff 
  

   Museum, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  included 
  in 
  Smith's 
  lists 
  ; 
  but 
  Mr. 
  George 
  Sim 
  

   places 
  its 
  value 
  in 
  the 
  Fauna 
  more 
  fully, 
  thus 
  : 
  — 
  'It 
  is 
  not 
  common; 
  

   yet 
  cannot 
  by 
  any 
  means 
  be 
  called 
  rare. 
  It 
  occurs 
  all 
  along 
  the 
  

   north-east 
  coast 
  of 
  Aberdeen 
  in 
  autumn, 
  in 
  too 
  great 
  numbers 
  to 
  

   warrant 
  the 
  records 
  of 
  single 
  or 
  individual 
  instances.' 
  Of 
  course 
  

   Mr. 
  George 
  Sim's 
  remarks 
  strictly 
  relate 
  to 
  ' 
  Dee,' 
  but 
  we 
  quote 
  

   them 
  as 
  useful 
  sidelights 
  from 
  a 
  migrational 
  standpoint. 
  

  

  * 
  

  

  