﻿154 
  THE 
  VERTEBEATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  " 
  DEE." 
  

  

  In 
  1864 
  one 
  was 
  killed 
  upon 
  the 
  Ythan, 
  and 
  was 
  in 
  the 
  

   collection 
  of 
  the 
  late 
  James 
  Forsyth, 
  police 
  constable 
  there. 
  

   In 
  1877 
  a 
  female 
  was 
  killed 
  on 
  the 
  Don, 
  beside 
  Waterton, 
  by 
  

   Mr. 
  F. 
  Logie 
  Pirie's 
  keeper. 
  On 
  January 
  19th, 
  1890, 
  a 
  male 
  

   of 
  the 
  first 
  year 
  was 
  killed 
  on 
  the 
  lake 
  at 
  Brucklay 
  Castle 
  ; 
  

   and 
  on 
  February 
  20th, 
  1892, 
  a 
  female 
  was 
  shot 
  by 
  Lord 
  

   Carnegie 
  on 
  the 
  Loch 
  of 
  Strathbeg. 
  Again, 
  on 
  January 
  16th, 
  

   1894, 
  a 
  female 
  was 
  shot 
  on 
  the 
  Don, 
  near 
  Fintray. 
  This 
  and 
  

   the 
  three 
  foregoing 
  specimens 
  were 
  sent 
  to 
  me. 
  Their 
  

   stomachs 
  contained 
  water 
  insects, 
  mollusca, 
  sticklebacks, 
  and 
  

   bits 
  of 
  quartz. 
  Mr. 
  John 
  Wilson, 
  Methlick, 
  has 
  a 
  fine 
  male 
  

   specimen 
  in 
  his 
  collection, 
  which 
  was 
  killed 
  in 
  his 
  neigh- 
  

   bourhood. 
  

  

  Order 
  COLUMBJE. 
  

  

  Family 
  COLUMBHLE. 
  

  

  Genus 
  COLUMBA, 
  Linn. 
  

  

  Columba 
  palumbus, 
  Linn. 
  "Wood 
  Pigeon." 
  " 
  Ring-Dove." 
  

   "Cushat" 
  "Cushie 
  Doo." 
  

  

  Generally 
  distributed, 
  and 
  in 
  great 
  abundance. 
  Go 
  where 
  

   one 
  may 
  throughout 
  " 
  Dee," 
  where 
  forest 
  or 
  birch 
  scrubs 
  

   exist, 
  one 
  is 
  sure 
  to 
  hear 
  and 
  see 
  the 
  Cushat. 
  Away 
  in 
  the 
  

   lonely 
  glen, 
  where 
  but 
  few, 
  if 
  any, 
  habitations 
  exist, 
  the 
  writer 
  

   has, 
  at 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  some 
  happily 
  spent 
  day, 
  rolled 
  in 
  his 
  plaid, 
  

   laid 
  himself 
  amongst 
  scented 
  birch 
  and 
  waving 
  bracken, 
  

   where 
  he 
  was 
  lulled 
  into 
  sleep 
  and 
  pleasant 
  slumber 
  by 
  the 
  

   soft 
  cooing 
  of 
  the 
  Cushat, 
  mingled 
  with 
  the 
  plaintive 
  wail 
  of 
  

   the 
  Plover, 
  and 
  the 
  wildly-weird 
  summer 
  cry 
  of 
  the 
  wary 
  

   " 
  Whaup," 
  to 
  be 
  awakened 
  at 
  early 
  morn 
  by 
  the 
  first 
  coo-roo- 
  

   coo-coo 
  of 
  his 
  favourite 
  bird 
  and 
  the 
  distant 
  grouse-cock's 
  

   morning 
  call. 
  

  

  Only 
  those 
  who 
  have 
  undergone 
  such 
  experiences 
  can 
  

   imagine 
  half 
  the 
  pleasure 
  that 
  attends 
  such 
  rambles 
  ; 
  and 
  

   now, 
  in 
  the 
  evening 
  of 
  his 
  days, 
  the 
  writer 
  can 
  look 
  back 
  upon 
  

   the 
  drama 
  of 
  his 
  humble 
  life 
  and 
  see 
  every 
  here 
  and 
  there, 
  

   standing 
  out 
  in 
  bold 
  relief, 
  the 
  Ring-Dove 
  arrayed 
  in 
  nuptial 
  

   raiment, 
  ever 
  and 
  anon 
  uttering 
  his 
  soft 
  and 
  soothing 
  call. 
  

   Away 
  in 
  the 
  wooded 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  sluggish 
  Don, 
  in 
  the 
  dark 
  

  

  