322 



BIRDS. 



Totanus hypoleucus {L.). Common Sandpiper. 



Common. Summer visitant. Breeds. 



Common in some seasons after the 16th April, but not appearing 

 usually much before the 20th of that month. They were early in 

 arrival in 1901. Generally distributed, and were common over the 

 whole area in suitable quarters, by stream and loch-side, to a con- 

 siderable altitude. Equally common in Highland and Lowland parts 

 of the area. 



Totanus ochropus (X.). Green Sandpiper. 



Rare autumn visitant. One was entered in the list of specimens in the 

 Montrose Museum, "Shot in December 1882." 



One was shot on the Earn by Mr. Pitcaithley in September 1883, 

 and added to the Perth Museum ; and Mr. Millais had also procured 

 it on tidal Tay {Perth. Soc. of Nat. Sciences, pp. 155 and 182). 



The latest account I have received of the occurrence of this bird 

 is afforded me by Mr. W. Berry {in. lit., 6th December 1905). He 

 informs me that his cousin Herbert Purvis, of Kinaldy, saw a Green 

 Sandpiper near St. Andrews lately, which he was near enough to 

 identify as one of this species. This was in October 1905. Mr. 

 Herbert Purvis verified his observation by the examination of a 

 specimen in the Royal Scottish Museum afterwards, and had no 

 further doubt of its correctness.^ 



Totanus calidris {L.). Common Redshank. 



Abundant on the shores and estuaries in autumn and winter. Resident. 

 Breeds. 



But the Redshank is not very abundant as a nesting species in 

 the central districts of the area. A few breed about Logierait (1891), 

 and again at Kirkmichael. It is local in the Earn valley above 

 Crieff, where there are not many places very suitable to its require- 

 ments, such as marshes and marshy meadows ; but it is commoner in 

 the same valley below Crieff in the Vale of Earn, and along the 

 course of the Allan Water (Forth), which runs in the opposite 

 direction to join the Forth at Bridge of Allan. Close to our 

 boundaries on the south, also, it is commoner at several suitable 

 straths and other marshy localities (Forth). 



1 So far as I can remember Mr. Herbert Purvis — many years ago in Sutherland — I 

 feel convinced that he had a keener eye for birds than for minerals, and much preferred 

 a wander over the hills with me than carrying a 16 -lb. geological hammer up a 3000- 

 foot mountain, to learn mineralogy with our mutual friend and good companion Prof. 

 Heddle, of St. Andrews. 



