Birds. 



6269 



Three specimens of the curlew sandpiper {Tringa suharquaia) were 

 seen to frequent a part of our coast for several days towards the end 

 of August last : one, a male, a very fine specimen, was procured. 



A hoopoe {Upupa epops) was shot by the Duke of Richmond in 

 Glen Fiddoch, one of his Grace's deer forests, on the 21st of Sep- 

 tember. 



Four bartailed godwits {Limosa rvfd) were seen about six weeks 

 ago. 



A specimen of the browm snipe {Scolopax grised) was met with on 

 our sands on Saturday afternoon, the 25th of September. When 

 first observed it was feeding amongst some dunlins and ringed 

 dotterells : there were also a few golden plovers. It is rather a 

 rare circumstance to see these birds on our coast at this season of the 

 year; but confound these ringed dotterells, — they are almost as bad 

 as the curlews ; for there is no getting an easy shot at a stranger 

 when once it gets associated with them : they are eternally on the 

 look out for squalls, and when anything does appear they generally 

 alarm everything near them. A shot, however, after a good deal of 

 winding and turning, was fired, and although at pretty long range, 

 broke at least one of the snipe's legs ; this had the effect of parting 

 him from his companions, as they all flew seaward, and he to a ride 

 of shingle which intervenes between the sands and links. Here he 

 alighted or rather fell, for he tumbled as he came down, seemingly to 

 rise no more. Having reloaded, in case of need, I then ran, as well 

 as I was able, to pick him up, gained the spot, and after a little 

 trouble found my bird stretched out at full length amongst the 

 pebbles, — a corpse, as I thought. And what a most beautiful speci- 

 men he w^as ! — apparently an old bird. It was now that I was made 

 fully aware of w^hat I had really shot at, and what a valuable prize I 

 had got, or rather met with. I laid down my gun, and sat down 

 myself, being almost intoxicated with delight, and having taken some 

 cotton wadding from my pocket to WTap round the injured leg and 

 stop up any other w'ound he may have received, I took him up for 

 that purpose ; but, alas ! too sanguine fool that I was to lay my gun 

 aside so soon. It is a true saying that " there's many a slip 'twixt 

 the cup and the lip:" I have experienced it often, and here I was 

 doomed to it again. Away flew the bird, having actually slipped 

 through my very fingers, whilst about to lay him on my knee. I 

 looked, but what like I really cannot tell ; but what w^as the use of 

 looking ? What else could I do ? Well, I fired both barrels as soon 

 as I got hold of my gun, and sitting as I was too. But what of that ? 



