Notes on the Ornithology of Caithness. 335 
county in Scotland, and separated from the " storm-swept 
Orcades" by only the narrow belt of the Pentland, through- 
out the summer the few wooded tracts scattered over it re- 
sound with the melody of divers species of this delicate and 
lovely family. A wide and untrodden field lies here before 
the first intelligent student of nature who may be privileged 
to follow and observe these summer visitants in their sylvan 
seclusion. The plantations of Stirkoke, the woods surround- 
ing Hempriggs House, and that paradise to the sportsman 
and naturalist the valleys of Berriedale and Langwell, are 
favourite and much-frequented resorts. 
Previously to 1840, Dr Sinclair of Wick had collected 
and prepared with his own hands all those in the fol- 
lowing list unmarked by an asterisk, amounting to the 
truly surprising number of 191 ; therefore it will appear 
that to the Doctor those interested in the subject are 
deeply indebted. Another reason for making this list is, 
that almost every other county has already a published 
register of its birds ; and the rich and varied catalogue which 
this county can present can be surpassed by but few within 
the three kingdoms. Our diversified list exhibits species 
that can hardly be exceeded in richness of colouring by the 
gaudy inhabitants of tropical countries, such as the gar- 
rulous roller ; natives of the warmer parts of Asia and Africa, 
such as the spotted flycatcher and the rose-coloured pastor ; 
and, contrasted with these, those sjolendid strangers from 
the frozen regions of the Arctic circle, the snowy owl, the 
jer-falcon, and the ivory and Iceland gulls. As instanciDg 
what has been done in the way of illustrating the ornitho- 
logy of this northern locality, I may in particular mention, 
although these are not the only works of a similar kind, the 
" Fauna Orcadensis" of the Eev. G. Low ; the " Natural 
History of Orkney," by Messrs Baikie and Heddle ; the 
" Tou.r in Sutherlandshire/' by the late Mr St «John ; and the 
catalogue published in the " Zoologist," by that enthusiastic 
naturalist, Mr Thomas Edward of Banfi^. I also cannot omit 
noticing some of the very rare and valuable birds which Dr 
Sinclair has been fortunate enough to secure within the 
bounds of the county, although I regret not being able to 
VOL. II. 2 X 
