﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  117 
  

  

  Family 
  COBACIID/R. 
  

   Genus 
  CORACIAS, 
  Linn. 
  

   Coracias 
  garrula, 
  Linn. 
  Roller. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  a 
  rare 
  and 
  very 
  irregular 
  visitor 
  to 
  " 
  Dee." 
  In 
  the 
  

   Zoologist 
  for 
  November, 
  1848, 
  p. 
  2302, 
  the 
  late 
  Rev. 
  James 
  

   Smith, 
  minister 
  of 
  Monquhitter, 
  in 
  speaking 
  of 
  a 
  Roller 
  that 
  

   had 
  been 
  shot 
  near 
  Banff, 
  says 
  : 
  " 
  With 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  one 
  

   which 
  was 
  obtained 
  many 
  years 
  ago 
  near 
  the 
  Loch 
  of 
  

   Strathbeg, 
  I 
  am 
  not 
  aware 
  of 
  any 
  specimen 
  having 
  been 
  

   previously 
  seen 
  or 
  heard 
  of 
  in 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  country." 
  

  

  In 
  1856 
  or 
  1857, 
  one 
  was 
  shot 
  on 
  the 
  estate 
  of 
  Parkhill 
  

   by 
  the 
  gamekeeper 
  there, 
  who 
  gave 
  it 
  to 
  Mr. 
  William 
  

   Davidson, 
  keeper 
  at 
  Seaton 
  House. 
  He 
  preserved 
  the 
  speci- 
  

   men, 
  and 
  in 
  his 
  possession 
  I 
  saw 
  it. 
  Ultimately 
  he 
  gave 
  

   the 
  bird 
  to 
  a 
  friend, 
  from 
  whom 
  I 
  bought 
  it, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  now 
  

   in 
  the 
  Kelvingrove 
  Museum, 
  Glasgow. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  specimen 
  

   mentioned 
  at 
  p. 
  203, 
  in 
  Gray's 
  Birds 
  of 
  the 
  West 
  of 
  Scotland 
  ; 
  

   but 
  the 
  story 
  given 
  in 
  that 
  work 
  is 
  altogether 
  wrong. 
  

  

  Family 
  MEROFIDiE. 
  

  

  Genus 
  MEROPS, 
  Linn. 
  

  

  Merops 
  apiaster, 
  Linn. 
  Bee-eater. 
  

  

  Very 
  rare. 
  In 
  1850, 
  three 
  were 
  seen 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Brand 
  in 
  his 
  

   garden, 
  Ravenscraig 
  Farm, 
  near 
  Peterhead. 
  One 
  of 
  these 
  he 
  

   killed, 
  and 
  I 
  saw 
  this 
  specimen 
  in 
  Mr. 
  Brand's 
  house 
  in 
  

   June, 
  1890. 
  One 
  was 
  shot 
  by 
  the 
  late 
  Mr. 
  Wallace, 
  gardener, 
  

   Kinmundy, 
  June 
  4th, 
  1852. 
  A 
  beautiful 
  water-colour 
  sketch 
  

   of 
  this 
  specimen 
  was 
  made 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Thomas 
  Ferguson, 
  for 
  

   a 
  sight 
  of 
  which 
  I 
  am 
  indebted 
  to 
  W. 
  Ferguson, 
  Esq., 
  LL.D., 
  

   of 
  Kinmundy. 
  

  

  Family 
  UPUPID.E. 
  

  

  Genus 
  UPUPA, 
  Linn. 
  

  

  Upupa 
  epops, 
  Linn. 
  Hoopoe. 
  

  

  This 
  straggler 
  has 
  occurred 
  in 
  " 
  Dee 
  " 
  more 
  frequently 
  

  

  perhaps 
  than 
  in 
  any 
  other 
  district 
  in 
  the 
  northern 
  portion 
  

  

  of 
  Scotland. 
  " 
  One 
  was 
  shot 
  by 
  Thomas 
  Ligertwood 
  on 
  

  

  Belhelvie 
  Links, 
  in 
  1826; 
  another 
  at 
  Tillyhows 
  by 
  James 
  

  

  