﻿INTRODUCTION. 
  

  

  35 
  

  

  the 
  base 
  of 
  our 
  southern 
  watershed. 
  Also 
  there 
  are 
  Loch 
  

   Kinord, 
  Loch 
  Davan, 
  Loch 
  of 
  Braeroddach, 
  and 
  the 
  Lochs 
  

   of 
  Skene 
  and 
  Park. 
  These 
  latter 
  are 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  Dee, 
  

   and 
  discharge 
  their 
  waters 
  into 
  that 
  river. 
  Then 
  we 
  have 
  

   the 
  Loch 
  of 
  Lumgair, 
  which 
  may 
  now 
  more 
  fitly 
  be 
  called 
  

   the 
  " 
  Marsh 
  of 
  Lumgair," 
  and 
  the 
  Loch 
  of 
  Loirston. 
  

   These 
  two 
  lochs 
  are 
  both 
  in 
  Kincardineshire 
  — 
  the 
  former 
  

   a 
  little 
  south 
  of 
  Stonehaven, 
  the 
  latter 
  near 
  Aberdeen. 
  

   The 
  Loch 
  of 
  Loirston 
  is 
  ugly 
  in 
  the 
  extreme. 
  It 
  is 
  

   surrounded 
  by 
  mounds 
  of 
  boulder 
  drift, 
  while 
  the 
  bottom 
  

   is 
  strewn 
  with 
  innumerable 
  blocks 
  of 
  coarse 
  granite 
  and 
  

   gneiss. 
  This 
  loch, 
  uninviting 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  man, 
  is 
  a 
  great 
  

   resort 
  of 
  Sea 
  Gulls, 
  Ducks, 
  etc., 
  and 
  on 
  its 
  borders 
  have 
  been 
  

   obtained 
  the 
  now 
  rare 
  Dotterel 
  ( 
  Charadrius 
  morineUus). 
  Along 
  

   the 
  coast 
  of 
  Aberdeenshire 
  there 
  are 
  the 
  Bishop 
  and 
  Corby 
  

   Lochs, 
  Sand 
  Loch, 
  Cotehill 
  Loch, 
  and 
  the 
  Meikle 
  Loch 
  

   of 
  Slains, 
  the 
  Loch 
  of 
  Lochills, 
  Loch 
  of 
  Kininmonth, 
  Loch 
  

   of 
  Pitglassie, 
  and 
  Loch 
  of 
  Strathbeg. 
  

  

  None 
  of 
  our 
  lakes, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  Loch 
  Callater, 
  

   is 
  accessible 
  to 
  salmon 
  ; 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  Strath- 
  

   beg, 
  Skene, 
  Park, 
  Braeroddach, 
  Pitglassie, 
  and 
  Lumgair, 
  

   none 
  of 
  them 
  is 
  of 
  much 
  zoological 
  importance. 
  These, 
  

   however, 
  are 
  largely 
  frequented 
  by 
  birds. 
  This 
  is 
  especially 
  

   the 
  case 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  Strathbeg, 
  a 
  half 
  -moon 
  shaped 
  

   sheet 
  of 
  water 
  which 
  covers 
  about 
  550 
  acres 
  ; 
  indeed, 
  it 
  

   is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  finest 
  places 
  for 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  feathered 
  

   tribes 
  along 
  the 
  east 
  coast 
  of 
  Scotland, 
  and 
  about 
  it 
  

   many 
  rarities 
  have 
  been 
  obtained 
  that 
  are 
  seldom 
  seen 
  in 
  

   other 
  parts 
  of 
  "Dee." 
  Between 
  the 
  loch 
  and 
  the 
  sea 
  

   lies 
  a 
  broad 
  belt 
  of 
  sand, 
  blown 
  in 
  some 
  places 
  into 
  

   rounded 
  mounds, 
  overgrown 
  with 
  bents 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  

   plants. 
  This 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  Back 
  Bar. 
  At 
  the 
  western 
  end 
  

   of 
  the 
  Bar, 
  and 
  along 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  loch, 
  is 
  a 
  broad 
  flat 
  of 
  

   marshy 
  ground. 
  Upon 
  this 
  and 
  along 
  Back 
  Bar 
  breed 
  

   the 
  Dunlin, 
  Redshank, 
  Stock-dove, 
  Ringed 
  Plover, 
  Common 
  

  

  