328 



BIRDS. 



Limosa lapponica (Z.). Bar-tailed Godwit. 



Common autumn \qsitant ; and some remain all winter and late into 

 spring. Also return spring migrant. 



Numbers frequent the oozes at the mouths of the rivers Eden 

 and Tay, and appear in full summer dress by June and July. Mr. 

 AV. Evans relates that he saw from 200 to 250 as late as the end of 

 July 1885, at Edenmouth, mostly in summer plumage, along with 

 Sanderlings and Grey Plovers. 



This "Wader does not, however, seem to be so abundant at the 

 Montrose Basin, or " Back Sands " of Montrose (1904). 



Millais says that some remain all summer, and adds : "I have 

 shot them at all seasons." 



Limosa belgica (Gmel). Black-tailed Godwit. 

 Rare autumn visitant. 



Col. Drummond Hay records two of this species shot on the Back 

 Sands of Montrose in September 1887, which are now in the Montrose 

 Museum. This was communicated to him by Dr. Howden, Sunny- 

 side, Montrose (in lit., December 1887) ; and they were duly recorded 

 in the Scottish Xaturalist, 1887-8, p. 350. 



Mr. R. Cray records two occurrences in Forfarshire prior to the 

 date of his writing (Birds of the West of Scotland, p. 305). 



One, a female, was obtained at Monifieth on 5th November 1886 

 by Mr. J. Nelson ; and another, a male, was also got by Mr. Nelson 

 at Tayport on 14th October 1889, and both of these are now in the 

 collection of Mr. Marshall, Stanley. 



Dr. Dewar records another obtained at Montrose Basin on 19th 

 September 1892, "only the fourth or fifth example in the district" 

 (see his lists). It was identified by him, and duly recorded in Annals 

 Scot. Nat. Hist., 1892, p. 46. 



Yet another was obtained at Tayport, 3rd September 1892, aud. 

 Mr. W. Berry (op. cit., p. 168 ?). 



MiUais has the following note : " Whilst snipe-shooting at Errol in 

 August 1885, I chased a Black-tailed Cod wit, and hit it hard. Eventu- 

 ally the bird flew into a reed-bed, where I lost it, as I had a very poor 

 dog with me. This is only the second I have seen in Scotland." 



(I certainly, so far as memory is to be trusted, saw two or three 

 on one occasion on the Stirlingshire shore (Forth), but I do not find 

 that I made note of the occasion at the time, now many years ago. 

 I was in the habit of recording at that time only the birds actually 

 procured during my visits to the tidal parts of Forth. Also, so far 



