BIRDS. 
177 
The most plentiful of all birds of prey in Caithness, where it 
goes by the name of " Eed Hawk." Much more plentiful 
in summer than winter. Mr. Osborne observes that there 
is little or no difference in size between the sexes, unlike 
the other hawks ; indeed, in a few instances, where an 
examination was made, the male was the larger of the two. 
The stomach of one specimen examined by Mr. Osborne 
was distended with common dung-beetles (Scarahceus ster- 
corarius) (0. MSS., 1868). 
Can scarcely now be called the most abundant species 
amongst the birds of prey of Caithness, During all our tour 
of the coast-lines in 1885, we only saw a pair at Dunnet 
Head and a pair at Berriedale, and they are reckoned rare 
by the gamekeeper upon the Dunbeath moors. 
Perhaps in no county in Scotland are " vermin " more 
systematically suppressed than in Caithness, as will be 
understood when we treat of such species as the hooded 
crow and lesser black-backed gull. Keepers in Caithness 
do not acknowledge the harmlessness of the kestrel. 
85. Faico cenchris, iVatim. Lesser Kestrel. 
86. Pandion haliaetus (L.). Osprey. 
Quite extinct as a breeding species in the county. Old 
sites are Ardvrack Castle, on Loch Assynt, and a " stack " 
of rock in a loch near Gualin shooting-lodge. It was re- 
ported to have returned to this latter site in 1881, but this 
was not corroborated ; the remains of this old nest near 
Gualin were still A'isible in 1881. The osprey was never 
recorded as breeding anywhere in the east of the county, no 
doubt on account of the lack of suitable sites. In 1834 Sir 
W. Jardine's party saw four ospreys on the wing at the 
same time, hovering over the mouth of the Laxford river ; 
such a sight can never be witnessed there now. By 1848, 
ospreys had become " very rare " (W. Dunbar, in lit. to 
M 
