BIRDS. 



311 



It is said to be a rare occasional visitor to north Fife, but I have 

 no definite notes or actual records. 



Phalaropus fulicarius (L.). Grey Phalarope. 



Very rare winter visitant. 



Booth procured a single bird in Glen Lyon. This was in 1866, 

 when there was quite an irruption of the species to this country, as 

 was chronicled at the time by Mr. John Henry Gurney.^ 



Col. Campbell records another, which is now in the Perth 

 Museum, and is probably the same which was procured during the 

 autumn migration at the lighthouse at the mouth of Tay in 1883 

 {Proc. of the Old Soc. of Perth, vol. i. p. 155). 



There is also one in the Montrose Museum, obtained at Montrose 

 Back-Sands,2 September 9, 1901 (fide Mr. Towns, and Mr. J. Milne 

 in lit.). 



And Millais possesses one which was killed at Tayport in October 

 1885. 



Scolopax rusticula, L. Woodcock. 



Old Gaelic name, Coileach coille. 



Localities mentioned in the old Statistical Account are — Kincardine, 

 Muthil, Weem, and Dowally, in the latter of which it is stated : " A 

 Woodcock was shot on 12th August, and was supposed to have been 

 bred there," or(?) to have bred there (op. cit., vol. xx. p. 473, 1798). 



Col. Drummond Hay has an excellent article upon this bird, 

 which is well worthy of the attention of our County Councils, our 

 proprietors, and all who are interested in the due preservation of 

 our game and other birds. He drew attention to the former exten- 

 sion of the open time to shoot Woodcocks in March, and (as is well 

 known, but carelessly ignored by those who ought to know better, and 

 those who legislate about things they know little about, and leave the 

 carrying out of the same to others who know and often care less !) 



upon the indiscriminate slaughter along our hedges and ditches, etc." But though 

 that may temporarily have been a check, I have my doubts now as to any permanent 

 good achieved by 1904. As I believe, and have expressed before (see text above), great 

 difficulty exists, and will continue to exist, so long as this ten shillings giin-lieence is 

 granted to all and sundrj^ amongst our idlest shore-poppers, etc. "What are you doing 

 shooting so many birds, and not picking them up?" "Oh, just shooting them for 

 practice." The question was asked by me, and the answer was given by one whom it 

 was considered was a sportsman and a gentleman, and who is now a judge ! 



1 A Summary of the Occurrences of the Grey Phalarope in Great Britain, during the 

 Autumn of 1866 (London : John Van Voorst, 1867). 



2 " Back-Sands," another term for the " Basin," as elsewhere mentioned in the text. 



