Ixiv 



DESCRIPTIVE CHAPTERS. 



It was only a three-mile drive to the Loch of Eescobie. We 

 went by the wrong road first, as we had failed to direct the 

 driver aright. However, we had plenty of time, and it gave me 

 an opportunity of seeing the place to greater advantage. After 

 driving along the road which passes close to the north side for 

 a distance of about one mile, we turned, and then took a cross-road 

 and passed under the railway bridge; and then turning to the 

 left along the Arbroath highway, came close up to the railway, 

 and to the very spot where I had several times seen the Great 

 Crested Grebes within " biscuit-throw " of the railway. Again, to- 

 day, to my pleasant surprise, I saw the male bird ; and Mr. Norrie, as 

 he went through the single field which separates the highroad from 

 the railway and the loch, which latter almost laves the embankment at 

 this point, also saw both cock and hen. Mr. Norrie secured several 

 photographs of the loch and patches of reeds, in one of which 

 without doubt the birds have been accustomed to have their nest. 

 Amongst other birds seen on Loch Rescobie I made out two pairs of 

 Shovellers, and Coots and Waterhens ; but it carries many other wild- 

 fowl at times, while the long marshes and semi-flooded meadows are 

 great haunts of Snipe. Returning by the straight road — the main 

 Arbroath road — we drove througli the town of Forfar to the Loch of 

 Forfar, which lies close to the west end of the town, and took one 

 general photograph of it including the buildings of the outskirts of the 

 town. The Loch of Forfar is another shallow, weedy sheet of water, 

 from which it has long been customary to dredge marl. There are many 

 nasty deep and said to be dangerous holes thus formed, and at one 

 place a series of long stakes had been driven into the bottom where 

 formerly much marl had been taken. Upon the tops of these stakes 

 Cormorants often perch, and remain there motionless for hours, not- 

 withstanding the close proximity of inhabited houses on the near 

 shore. There were none there, however, to-day, but I saw several 

 pairs of Shovellers and one pair of Mallards. 



There are one or two more shallow lochs not far from Forfar 

 with very similar characteristics, and I do not consider it necessary 

 to dwell upon these at length, nor beyond such mention as may be 

 made about them in our list. 



I am indebted to the Rev. Mr. M'Connochie, of Guthrie parish, 

 for a very careful and excellent list of the birds he has met with, or 



