﻿182 
  

  

  BIRDS. 
  

  

  species 
  is 
  decidedly 
  interesting 
  to 
  study. 
  Thus 
  : 
  Lapwings 
  are 
  

   seen 
  at 
  their 
  breeding 
  haunts, 
  or 
  upon 
  closely 
  adjoining 
  pastures, 
  

   after 
  the 
  young 
  are 
  hatched 
  off 
  and 
  able 
  to 
  fly, 
  in 
  small 
  companies 
  

   of 
  a 
  dozen 
  or 
  two, 
  or 
  more, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  breeding 
  population, 
  

   and 
  often 
  amounting 
  to 
  considerable 
  flocks. 
  Later 
  they 
  move 
  on, 
  

   this 
  company 
  gaining 
  accessions 
  as 
  they 
  pass 
  along, 
  often 
  flying 
  

   high 
  and 
  taking 
  longer 
  flights, 
  as 
  if 
  prospecting 
  ahead, 
  or 
  practis- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  young 
  muscles 
  of 
  the 
  wings. 
  At 
  last, 
  still 
  later, 
  and 
  still 
  

   following 
  down 
  the 
  valleys 
  — 
  like 
  many 
  other 
  species 
  — 
  they 
  accu- 
  

   mulate 
  near 
  the 
  mouths 
  of 
  the 
  rivers 
  on 
  the 
  flats 
  or 
  carse-lands 
  

   near 
  the 
  sea, 
  and 
  thus 
  probably 
  represent 
  the 
  whole 
  Lapwing 
  

   population 
  of 
  each 
  river-system. 
  

  

  We 
  wish 
  that 
  London 
  could 
  be 
  more 
  easily 
  appeased, 
  and 
  that 
  

   Rooks' 
  eggs 
  could 
  be 
  substituted 
  for 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Lapwing 
  oftener 
  

   than 
  they 
  are 
  ; 
  this 
  could 
  easily 
  be 
  done 
  by 
  removing 
  the 
  shells. 
  

   Some 
  which 
  we 
  ourselves 
  saw 
  in 
  the 
  original 
  building 
  of 
  a 
  Club 
  

   in 
  Edinburgh 
  had 
  not 
  been 
  so 
  treated 
  ! 
  The 
  then 
  steward, 
  when 
  

   the 
  fact 
  was 
  pointed 
  out 
  to 
  him, 
  vied 
  in 
  tint 
  with 
  the 
  eggs 
  them- 
  

   selves 
  ! 
  

  

  Strepsilas 
  interpres 
  (L.). 
  Turnstone. 
  

  

  Perhaps 
  more 
  abundant 
  about 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  East 
  Sutherland 
  than 
  

   elsewhere 
  in 
  our 
  area. 
  Here 
  at 
  times 
  they 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  

   considerable 
  numbers, 
  and 
  towards 
  the 
  middle 
  or 
  end 
  of 
  May 
  the 
  

   few 
  that 
  are 
  then 
  left 
  are 
  in 
  magnificent 
  breeding 
  plumage. 
  

  

  Lower 
  down 
  the 
  coast 
  numerous 
  records 
  occur 
  of 
  its 
  presence 
  ; 
  

   but 
  we 
  do 
  not 
  find 
  it 
  spoken 
  of 
  as 
  being 
  very 
  numerous, 
  except 
  

   by 
  Brown 
  of 
  Forres, 
  who 
  says 
  it 
  is 
  ' 
  abundant, 
  arriving 
  on 
  the 
  

   coasts 
  in 
  October, 
  and 
  remaining 
  till 
  May.' 
  The 
  rockier 
  portions 
  

   of 
  the 
  coast 
  between 
  Covesea 
  and 
  Hopeman 
  or 
  Burghead 
  offer 
  the 
  

   most 
  likely 
  ground, 
  but 
  numbers 
  also 
  frequent 
  the 
  opener 
  reaches 
  

   of 
  sandy 
  coast 
  by 
  Nairn, 
  the 
  Culbin 
  Sands, 
  and 
  Bay 
  of 
  Burghead. 
  

  

  Haematopus 
  ostralegus, 
  L. 
  Oyster-catcher. 
  

  

  Local 
  Names. 
  — 
  Sea 
  Pyot, 
  Krocket. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  somewhat 
  curious 
  to 
  find 
  that 
  this 
  well-recognised 
  bird 
  should 
  

   have 
  its 
  name 
  omitted 
  from 
  even 
  the 
  fullest 
  lists 
  of 
  the 
  O.S.A. 
  of 
  

   the 
  parishes 
  of 
  the 
  Moray 
  Basin. 
  Such 
  a 
  prominent 
  species 
  as 
  it 
  

   now 
  is 
  on 
  both 
  coast 
  and 
  river 
  would 
  almost 
  lead 
  one 
  to 
  suppose 
  

  

  