172 
BIRDS. 
cutting down of all the large trees and continued trapping 
have done their work, and the kite exists there no longer. 
Some fifty years ago the kite used to be seen in the Helms- 
dale Strath, but our informant could not say whether it 
nested there. It liad become rare by St. John's time, in 
1849. Mr. Stewart, who has been thirty years gamekeeper 
at Inverpolly, only remembers, during that time, of seeing 
one pair of kites there, a tale to the effect that old and 
young were killed as specimens for the sub-tenant in 1884 
being ignored or denied. 
JSTo instance of its occurrence in Caithness is known to us. 
174. Milvus migrans {Bocld). Black Kite. 
175. Nauclerus furcatus (L.). Swallow-tailed Kite. 
176. Elanus caeruleus (Desf.). Black-winged Kite. 
177. Pernis apivorus (L.). Honey-Buzzard. 
A rare autumn visitant. Several have, however, been pro- 
cured, two of which are now in our possession. The first, 
a female, was killed in the large Uppat woods, near Dun- 
robin, in July 1879, and in September of the same year a 
young one, with the down still adhering to the tips of its 
feathers, was killed at Balnacoil, not far from the same 
place. Other specimens are in the Dunrobin Museum, one 
of which was shot at Kildonan, up the Helmsdale Strath. 
Only known as a Caithness bird from Dr. Sinclair's List up to 
date of Osborne's MS. But it is included in Mr. Lewis 
Dunbar's List, with the following notes : " Honey-buzzard ; 
prior to 1878, Langwell; shot by D. Eoss, keeper; young 
male ; kept too long for preservation ; but the legs are 
here " (i.e. at Thurso, in Mr. L. Dunbar's possession) ; which 
note substantiates possibly Dr. Sinclair's record (Dunbar). 
The legs were seen in Mr. Dunbar's possession by Mr. 
Bidwell in the autumn of 1886. 
