1891.
Aug. 30
(No 4)
Scotland.
The Trossachs. - first golden rod that we have seen
outside the gardens most of which contain a clump
or two as well as a few bunches of asters which also 
are either very rare or not found at all in a wild
state in this country.
  During our passage around the Loch I looked
closely for Sandpipers but in vain. Their places
seemed to be taken by the Wagtails which were
far more numerous than I have hither to found
them. There were two species, the Gray and
the Pied, the former much the more abundant
of the two. Every strip of pebbly or sandy
beach had at least one and oftener four
or five of these attractive birds. They acted
somewhat like Titlarks but were far more
animated, skipping nimbly from stone to stone
and darting hither and thither after insects
which they frequently captured finally by a
short upward or horizontal flight. They wagged
their long tails invariably just after alighting
and frequently at other times. The motion
is more nervous and pulsating than with an
of our birds. On taking wing the tail is usually
spread to its fullest extent for a moment or
two then closed. The flight is singularly
glancing and graceful, the bird rising and
falling in a series of long, deep undulations
the long tail streaming out behind. The flight-
note uttered at frequent intervals resembles
our Titlark's but is louder and fuller. I also
saw Wagtails to-day along the rocky bed of a small