BIRDS. 



183 



Speaking a little more in detail of this flight, I find that Mr. 

 Henderson, of Dundee, received nine birds in the flesh, all obtained in 

 the neighbourhood of Dundee. He sent six of them — after preserva- 

 tion — to me, and I selected two. Four of them were got in one day. 

 Many more were got or seen along the east coast of Forfar — as. 

 for instance, at Couston, near Xewtyle ; and in Strathmore ; also 

 at Balthayock (Perth), Drumkelbo, and at Largo (Forth), etc. ; and 

 many were procured, as I have already pointed out, down through 

 the areas of Scotland, mostly to the south of the Grampians, though 

 a smaller number were also got, or seen, at Mull and elsewhere to the 

 north of the same ransre. 



The next prominent " Eough-legged Buzzard year " was 1893. 

 That was followed by one in 1903-4, as many returns show; and 

 again they penetrated far into the interior. 



In fact, the line of their main flight appears to be as follows : The 

 greater number strike our coast about the northern confines of our 

 present areas, and follow down the east coast, and when their numbers 

 are heaviest in pronounced years of immigration, seek inland by the 

 bases of the Grampians and along the wide strath of Strathmore. 

 Thence this battalion seeking across again turns up in the Yale 

 of Menteith, as for instance at Boquhan— a very favourite spot on all 

 such visitations. Then the stream always appears to get south by the 

 passes through the Fintry Hills to Duntreath and Campsie, and so on 

 to Clyde. A branch also, but a more restricted one, passes along the 

 south side of the Ochils via Fife, the main flow going south after the 

 East Neuk of Fife is reached ; and I have seen individuals flying over 

 this house and grounds (Dunipace) in Forth. 



But Dr. Dewar seems to reckon this bird as only "a rare visitor," 

 from Montrose southwards by Arbroath (but see Henderson's infor- 

 mation above) ; and their appearances to the north of Girdleness also 

 seem to be of greater irregularity, so far as our recorded statistics tell 

 us (see Fauna of Dee, by Mr. George Sim"). 



It suggested itself to my mind that there was probably intimate 

 relationship between these great " Eough-legged Buzzard years " and 

 the periodical migrations of the Lemming in Norway, and accordingly 

 I consulted Herr Prof. E. Collett's paper on that animal, and also 

 asked him to let me know further. 



Now the year 1903 was reckoned a great Lemming year in 

 Norway, as already stated ante (p. 177), under Snowy Owl, on the 

 authority of Eev. Francis C. E. Jourdain. Herr Prof. Collett 

 verifies the statement also, and tells me (in lit., 13th Dec. 1904), 



