318 



BIRDS. 



before, on account of the hardening of the surface by successive 

 layers, and the increasing depth of the mud. 



Mr. R. Gray found the Jack Snipe "nowhere so abundant as in 

 Forfarshire," and relates obtaining "six or seven brace in the course 

 of a short turn with the dogs," in the marshes in the neighbour- 

 hood of the county town. (See also Birds of the West of Scotland^ 

 p. 313.) This refers almost certainly to the marshy edges of the 

 Loch of Forfar. 



Tringae. 



There appears to be rather a scarcity of Waders on this coast, except at the 

 estuaries of Eden and Tay, and at the Montrose Basin. This is, however, only to be 

 expected, as the coast-line is not so suitable for their habits as the larger estuary of 

 Forth. Col. Drummond Hay continually speaks of this deficiency, and compares 

 it with former comparative abundance of many species, and he ascribes several 

 different causes. It may be difficult to compare the numbers found, for instance, 

 along the much greater areas of mud-flats of Forth, and those of the smaller estuaries, 

 nor perhaps would such a comparison assist us greatly in arriving at conclusions as to 

 the routes of migrants, at least with any certainty. Whether the trend of these coast- 

 lines has any definite influence or not upon the migration "flights" and flocks of 

 Waders, I will not now discuss, but leave over for further consideration, only adding 

 here that any very remarkable concentration appears to me to be non-existent. 



Tringa alpina, L. Dunlin. 



Abundant. Resident in some numbers. Breeding. Enormous acces- 

 sions, however, are only autumn migrants and winter visitants. 



It appears from Col. Drummond Hay's notes at various times 

 that these Waders were at one time seen in immense flocks as far up 

 the estuary of Tay as Perth; but that now, i.e. in 1878, though still 

 abundant, they do not come up so far ; and Col. Drummond Hay 

 further remarks that "it is somewhat curious that with a single 

 exception — viz. one shot near the Stormontfield Ponds — four or five 

 miles above Perth, they have never been met with in the Highlands 

 or further up the Tay." But with reference to the above remark, 

 I have the statement from Mr. D. Dewar that they breed " on the tops 

 of the hills to the south of the Loch " (Tay) ; and years ago Mr. 

 Dewar sent me the drawing of a Dunlin and its egg taken by him- 

 self there, which I still possess, and which was so well executed as to 

 leave not the slightest uncertainty in my own mind that his statement 

 was perfectly correct ; and since then I know that they breed close to 

 the southern boundary of Tay, high up on the plateaus around Ben 

 Chonzie, as well as upon much lower ground on the confines of Forth. 



