﻿108 
  

  

  THE 
  VEETEBEATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  "DEE." 
  

  

  For 
  the 
  past 
  few 
  years, 
  however, 
  a 
  decided 
  increase 
  has 
  taken 
  

   place, 
  and 
  for 
  several 
  years 
  back 
  I 
  have, 
  in 
  my 
  wanderings 
  

   through 
  various 
  districts 
  of 
  " 
  Dee," 
  met 
  with 
  the 
  Pyet 
  in 
  

   places 
  where 
  it 
  might 
  have 
  been 
  least 
  expected. 
  All 
  along 
  

   the 
  valleys 
  of 
  the 
  Dee 
  and 
  Don 
  it 
  is 
  fairly 
  frequent, 
  and 
  

   among 
  the 
  wooded 
  districts 
  of 
  Braemar 
  I 
  was 
  pleased 
  to 
  see 
  

   it 
  was 
  not 
  uncommon. 
  Around 
  Aberdeen 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  

   plentiful, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  neighbouring 
  parish 
  of 
  Nigg, 
  on 
  the 
  

   south 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  Dee, 
  six 
  to 
  eight 
  magpies 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  

   flying 
  overhead 
  or 
  resting 
  upon 
  the 
  dykes 
  at 
  one 
  time. 
  

  

  That 
  the 
  Magpie 
  occasionally 
  takes 
  an 
  egg 
  or 
  young 
  bird 
  

   need 
  not 
  be 
  denied, 
  but 
  what 
  of 
  that 
  ? 
  It 
  has 
  a 
  right 
  to 
  its 
  

   share 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  highest 
  in 
  the 
  land. 
  If 
  every 
  creature 
  is 
  

   to 
  be 
  persecuted 
  to 
  the 
  verge 
  of 
  extinction 
  for 
  some 
  slight 
  

   action 
  that 
  may 
  appear 
  to 
  man 
  as 
  inimical 
  to 
  his 
  interest, 
  

   where 
  is 
  such 
  action 
  to 
  end, 
  and 
  what 
  creature 
  is 
  safe 
  ? 
  

  

  Genus 
  CORVUS, 
  Linn. 
  

   Corvus 
  monedula, 
  Linn. 
  Jackdaw. 
  "Daw." 
  " 
  Kae." 
  

  

  This 
  bird 
  is 
  abundant 
  in 
  most 
  parts 
  of 
  " 
  Dee," 
  rearing 
  its 
  

   young 
  in 
  the 
  rocky 
  caverns 
  along 
  the 
  coast, 
  or 
  among 
  the 
  

   crumbling 
  walls 
  of 
  ancient 
  Dunnottar; 
  in 
  church 
  towers, 
  or 
  

   the 
  ivy-covered 
  walls 
  of 
  modern 
  gardens 
  ; 
  the 
  roofless 
  towers 
  

   of 
  baronial 
  halls, 
  or 
  the 
  more 
  lowly 
  pigeon-house 
  ; 
  the 
  old 
  

   banqueting 
  halls 
  and 
  ball-rooms 
  of 
  the 
  ancient 
  Gordons 
  of 
  

   Gight, 
  the 
  Cheynes 
  of 
  Inverugie, 
  and 
  the 
  Keiths 
  of 
  Ravens- 
  

   craig 
  ; 
  the 
  historical 
  and 
  ivy-covered 
  ruins 
  of 
  Kildrummy 
  

   Castle, 
  and 
  the 
  old 
  and 
  ugly 
  Castle 
  of 
  Corgarf 
  — 
  all 
  these 
  

   and 
  many 
  others 
  of 
  the 
  ancient 
  strongholds 
  of 
  the 
  departed 
  

   lords 
  of 
  the 
  land 
  the 
  Jackdaw 
  now 
  claims 
  as 
  his 
  own, 
  and 
  

   successfully 
  holds 
  possession 
  against 
  all 
  assailants. 
  It 
  is 
  

   common 
  on 
  the 
  rocky 
  faces 
  of 
  the 
  mountains 
  of 
  Mar, 
  and 
  

   even 
  in 
  the 
  disused 
  chimney-pots 
  of 
  the 
  older 
  portions 
  of 
  

   the 
  city 
  of 
  Aberdeen. 
  

  

  Corvus 
  corone, 
  Linn. 
  Carrion-Crow. 
  Hooded 
  Crow. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  with 
  considerable 
  diffidence 
  that 
  I 
  approach 
  the 
  

   subject 
  of 
  the 
  Carrion-Crow. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  looked 
  upon 
  for 
  

   so 
  long 
  as 
  a 
  good 
  species, 
  that 
  to 
  express 
  a 
  different 
  opinion 
  

  

  