BlUDS. 
153 
1885. They bred on the south face of Stack of Wick in 
1884, but were extirpated by the keeper by rifle practice, 
at a range of about 250 yards. Harvie-Brown saw the 
range in 1885. Many bullets were expended before the 
final glory and the proud moment of extirpation was 
achieved. 
Order 2. MACROCHIRES. 
Family CYPSELID^. 
132. Cypselus apus {L.). Common Swift. 
Summer visitant, breeding in suitable localities along the 
south-east coast, but not plentiful. Seen at Badenloch, in 
the centre of the county, but does not breed there. Never 
observed in the west, nor have we seen them anywhere in 
the north. Though reported as common about the lime- 
stone cliffs of Durness, and breeding in the Great Smoo 
Cave and elsewhere in the vicinity, we saw nothing of 
them there in 1881. At Tongue Mr. Crawford has twice 
seen swifts, but they did not remain to breed, and tarried 
only for two or three days. Mr. Booth observed a few, 
however, near Durness, and again between Castletown and 
Dunnet Head in Caithness. One was seen on Loch Shin 
near Lairg by us in the beginning of July 1885. It may 
seem trivial to many English ornithologists to give these 
records, but it is not trivial, if we desire to arrive at minute 
distributional and migrational data. 
A well-known summer visitant (0. MSS., 1868). 
Previously recorded as common prior to 1862 (0. and Sh. 
List, 1862). Noted by Mr. William Keid (W. E.'s List). 
Seen in the town of Thurso by Harvie-Brown ; also a 
company of seven apparently migrating, flying due east, 
and swiftly careering above the cliff edge of Holborn Head, 
