300 



BIRDS. 



around Glen Shee, assembling in flocks of from eight to nine birds. 

 I have found their eggs and also the young in down; and the 

 gentlemen shot many of them. But lately they have become very 

 scarce, and only a few pairs could be found on hills that once 

 afforded nesting grounds for a number of pairs." From being 

 common they became rare — why, Mr. Duff did not pretend to 

 account for (Rev. H. A. Macpherson's MS.). 



Quite in the same way, Mr. D. Dewar informed the same gentle- 

 man that he — Mr. Dewar — had found the nests of the Dotterel on the 

 hills above Loch Tay, but he rarely shot the old birds, though he often 

 took toll of the young ones in the autumn. He says that the birds 

 are much scarcer than they were fifty years ago — say 1850. Many 

 used to be shot at the same time as Golden Plover, and were sent up 

 to London to the late Marquis of Breadalbane. As many as fifty 

 couples of Golden Plover were sent at one time. Mr. Dewar added 

 that "the Dotterels were specially appreciated," and were "kept 

 separate when sent away." This was done on some estates, but not 

 on all ; and it was not a universal practice — only local. 



Likewise, Col. Drummond Hay said that by 1878 they had 

 become much rarer than they were thirty or forty years before; 

 and he adds : " The Sidlaw Hills used to afford a resting place on 

 their migrations, but by 1878 they had long ceased to frequent that 

 place." 



In 1879 Horn considered them to be "rapidly decreasing," but 

 spoke of them as still nesting on some of the higher hills north of Loch 

 Tay. He quotes Booth also as having obtained " some specimens 

 on the north side of Glen Lyon" (vide Catal. Birds in the Brighton 

 Museum, p. 140). Booth relates the capture of two birds — one a 

 male, which was accompanied by a brood of young, and another 

 female; and he had seen flocks or parties shortly before the 12th 

 August. This would be about 1866 or 1867. 



Mr. D. Dewar, when relating the above to Mr. Macpherson, also 

 added that he had once shot two old birds as late as October 1, 

 1880, on Remony. There were three birds in company. Weather 

 stormy, and with north-east wind. 



There are two others, male and female, now in the Royal Scottish 

 Museum, which were obtained at Dalnaspidal (the male 17th August 

 1876, and the female 8th September 1876), while two more were in 

 the late Mr. R. Gray's collection. 



Of other resting places outside of our present area I could give 

 some account, but that would not prove much in the present case 



