﻿174 
  

  

  THE 
  VEETEBEATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  "DEE." 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Gray, 
  in 
  his 
  Appendix 
  to 
  the 
  Birds 
  of 
  the 
  West 
  of 
  

   Scotland, 
  p. 
  514, 
  says 
  : 
  " 
  Mr. 
  Mitchell 
  has 
  since 
  informed 
  me 
  

   that 
  he 
  shot 
  a 
  second 
  specimen 
  on 
  4th 
  September," 
  but 
  no 
  

   year 
  is 
  mentioned, 
  so 
  that 
  Mr. 
  Mitchell 
  must 
  have 
  forgotten 
  

   the 
  1872 
  specimen 
  as 
  being 
  his 
  second, 
  or 
  there 
  may 
  be 
  some 
  

   mistake 
  in 
  the 
  1872 
  record. 
  

  

  One 
  was 
  shot 
  at 
  the 
  Colly 
  Burn, 
  near 
  Peterhead, 
  by 
  

   Mr. 
  John 
  M'Boyle, 
  5th 
  September, 
  1891. 
  

  

  Tringa 
  subarquata, 
  Guldenstddt. 
  Curlew 
  Sandpiper. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  known 
  to 
  occur 
  sparingly 
  in 
  most 
  suitable 
  

   places 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  "Dee." 
  The 
  late 
  Mr. 
  Mitchell 
  

   obtained 
  it 
  at 
  Don-mouth, 
  and 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  got 
  several 
  times 
  

   by 
  Mr. 
  M'Boyle 
  at 
  Peterhead, 
  with 
  whom 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  it. 
  

   Mr. 
  Stewart 
  Burnett 
  claims 
  to 
  have 
  seen 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  parish 
  of 
  

   Kinellar 
  on 
  30th 
  May, 
  1852, 
  when, 
  from 
  its 
  behaviour, 
  he 
  

   thought 
  it 
  might 
  have 
  young. 
  He 
  also 
  records 
  having 
  seen 
  it 
  

   " 
  in 
  wet 
  localities 
  near 
  Kintore 
  and 
  Echt." 
  

  

  Tringa 
  striata, 
  Linn. 
  Purple 
  Sandpiper. 
  

  

  This 
  hardy 
  little 
  bird 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  small 
  flocks 
  on 
  the 
  

   rocky 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  " 
  Dee," 
  and 
  few 
  more 
  beautiful 
  

   and 
  interesting 
  sights 
  may 
  be 
  witnessed 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  

   number 
  of 
  these 
  birds 
  crowding 
  on 
  a 
  rocky 
  ledge 
  upon 
  which 
  

   every 
  now 
  and 
  again 
  the 
  sea 
  comes 
  washing. 
  How 
  nimbly 
  

   the 
  little 
  things 
  spring 
  on 
  wing 
  as 
  if 
  fearful 
  lest 
  their 
  feet 
  

   get 
  wet 
  with 
  the 
  coming 
  of 
  the 
  laving 
  tide, 
  and 
  how 
  quickly 
  

   they 
  return 
  when 
  the 
  waves 
  recede, 
  to 
  feed 
  upon 
  the 
  small 
  

   crustaceans 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  amongst 
  the 
  short 
  sea- 
  weed. 
  There 
  

   they 
  run, 
  turn, 
  leap 
  over, 
  and 
  " 
  dodge 
  " 
  each 
  other 
  as 
  they 
  

   pass, 
  in 
  the 
  most 
  curious 
  manner, 
  and 
  however 
  small 
  the 
  

   ledge 
  may 
  be, 
  while 
  each 
  individual 
  is 
  eager 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  most 
  

   of 
  its 
  time, 
  there 
  never 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  any 
  quarrelling 
  amongst 
  

   them. 
  

  

  Tringa 
  canutus, 
  Linn. 
  Knot. 
  

  

  A 
  regular 
  autumn 
  visitor, 
  some 
  continuing 
  through 
  the 
  

   greater 
  part 
  of 
  winter. 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  specimens 
  killed 
  in 
  

   September 
  still 
  in 
  possession 
  of 
  a 
  great 
  part 
  of 
  their 
  breeding 
  

   dress. 
  

  

  