BIRDS. 



299 



(Forfar), on the authority of the Rev. John Webster, who says : 

 " They have become much rarer since the country was improved " 

 (loc. cit., vol. vi. p. 227). And the Dotterel is also mentioned as 

 frequenting localities in Monievaird, Struaii, and Weem in Perth. 



In the north-east it is marked "Rare Visitor," and "probably 

 breeds in the higher hills." 



Prior to the date of 1870, I was informed that a few couple were 

 usually shot on the Drumouchter gi^ounds by the sportsmen in 

 August; and the keeper, Macgregor, who afterwards accompanied 

 Feilden and myself when we found the nest there, told me in 1870 

 that these birds bred on the higher hills of his beat, and that he 

 used to send the feathers to the Messrs. Anderson, of Dunkeld, for 

 dressing flies. Small flocks of from six to twelve are annually seen 

 on their favourite autumn localities, indicating — as was indeed well 

 known — about the number of nests which occurred within a radius 

 of a few miles on that watershed. 



After Feilden and I took the eggs — as formerly described 

 {Moray, vol. ii. p. 172, etc.) — the late Dr. Dewar of Glasgow again 

 found the nest, and shot both birds. This was not done from informa- 

 tion given by us, but was obtained by word from a man at Kin- 

 gussie whom he had attended in his capacity of medical adviser. 

 Again, in 1886, I find that at least one was shot by a man by name 

 "Gow," and sent to Macleay, of Inverness, for preservation, from 

 Dalnaspidal — an adjoining shooting to the south of Drumouchter. 



Now, up to this time, and for a good many years later, there was 

 always good reason to believe that there was a decided decrease in 

 the numbers of the species, both of those visiting old spring and 

 autumn haunts, and, so far as could be observed and gathered, also 

 of the actual numbers of pairs nesting at previously known localities. 

 Still they were not really rare, at least on the Grampian ranges to 

 the east of the Highland Railway, while there were also a good few 

 pairs occupying other hills to the west. 



But by 1902, or thereby, there became evidence that a decided 

 increase was taking place, or otherwise that there was a southward 

 movement of the distributional area in the nesting season. Of this 

 I have considerable evidence. Much of this I do not desire to make 

 public, but I will give some evidence at least to show it. 



Speaking of the years between 1830 and 1895, an old man of the 

 name of DufF — before mentioned under Golden Eagle — who latterly 

 resided at Pitlochry, but formerly lived most of his life in Glen 

 Shee, related his experiences to the late Rev. H. A. Macpherson as 

 follows: "In the thirties the birds were very common on the hills 



