﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  113 
  

  

  [Alauda 
  alpestris. 
  Linn. 
  Shore-Lark. 
  

  

  " 
  I 
  have 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  a 
  frequent, 
  if 
  not 
  an 
  

   annual, 
  visitant 
  to 
  the 
  eastern 
  shores 
  of 
  Scotland, 
  ranging 
  

   from 
  the 
  Ythan 
  to 
  the 
  Tweed." 
  (Gray's 
  Birds 
  of 
  the 
  West 
  of 
  

   Scotland, 
  p. 
  118.) 
  "Others 
  were 
  seen 
  at 
  various 
  localities, 
  

   reaching 
  from 
  Aberdeen 
  in 
  the 
  north 
  to 
  Weymouth 
  in 
  the 
  

   south, 
  between 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  November 
  and 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  

   March 
  following 
  " 
  (1869-70). 
  (Yarrell's 
  British 
  Birds, 
  4th 
  Ed., 
  

   p. 
  607.) 
  " 
  An 
  irregular 
  winter 
  visitant 
  to 
  the 
  coasts 
  of 
  Great 
  

   Britain, 
  from 
  Aberdeen 
  in 
  the 
  north 
  to 
  Tor 
  Bay 
  in 
  the 
  south." 
  

   (British 
  Ornithologists' 
  Union's 
  List, 
  p. 
  73.)] 
  

  

  Notwithstanding 
  the 
  above, 
  it 
  appears 
  to 
  me 
  that 
  some- 
  

   thing 
  more 
  precise 
  is 
  wanted 
  before 
  the 
  Shore 
  -Lark 
  can 
  be 
  

   admitted 
  to 
  the 
  list 
  of 
  birds 
  that 
  frequent 
  " 
  Dee." 
  The 
  two 
  

   latter 
  statements 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  made 
  on 
  the 
  strength 
  of 
  Gray's 
  

   supposition; 
  but 
  as 
  that 
  author 
  gives 
  no 
  particulars, 
  nor 
  even 
  

   says 
  that 
  a 
  single 
  specimen 
  was 
  to 
  his 
  knowledge 
  obtained 
  

   in 
  Aberdeenshire, 
  we 
  must 
  wait 
  till 
  someone 
  can 
  show 
  a 
  

   " 
  Dee 
  "-killed 
  specimen 
  before 
  the 
  Shore 
  -Lark 
  can 
  with 
  

   certainty 
  be 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  list, 
  for 
  suppositions 
  cannot 
  be 
  

   accepted 
  as 
  facts, 
  whoever 
  may 
  express 
  them. 
  

  

  Order 
  PICAEI^E. 
  

  

  Sub-Order 
  GYP 
  SELL 
  

  

  Family 
  CYPSELID.E. 
  

  

  Genus 
  CYPSELUS, 
  Illiger. 
  

  

  Cypselus 
  apus, 
  Linn. 
  Swift. 
  "Black 
  Swift." 
  

  

  Common, 
  and 
  breeds, 
  appropriating 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  

   nidification 
  such 
  holes 
  as 
  it 
  can 
  find 
  under 
  the 
  eaves 
  of 
  

   houses, 
  towers, 
  etc., 
  and 
  is 
  evidently 
  on 
  the 
  increase. 
  It 
  

   arrives 
  in 
  " 
  Dee 
  " 
  about 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  April, 
  and 
  generally 
  leaves 
  

   by 
  the 
  middle 
  or 
  end 
  of 
  August 
  ; 
  but 
  some 
  remain 
  later. 
  

   On 
  September 
  11th, 
  1902, 
  I 
  had 
  one 
  whose 
  wings 
  and 
  tail 
  

   feathers 
  were 
  not 
  fully 
  grown, 
  therefore 
  it 
  could 
  not 
  have 
  

   departed 
  until 
  well 
  into 
  October. 
  

  

  