218 
BIRDS. 
evidence of sufficient reliability to prove this, either in this 
county or elsewhere in Scotland. 
Mr. Osborne calls this an indigenous species, a few remaining 
to breed in the extensive bogs and moorland wastes ; but 
as he gives no instance of ever finding its nest, this seems 
to be merely propagating an old error, and it is more likely 
to be only an autumn migrant, a few remaining through 
the winter. Mr. L. Dunbar has the note, " A few killed 
every winter." 
295. Limicola platyryncha (Tevim.). Broad-billed Sandpiper. 
296. Tringa maculata, Fieill. Pectoral Sandpiper. 
297. Tringa fuscicollis, FieilL Bonaparte's Sandpiper. 
298. Tringa alpina, L. Dunlin. 
Eesident ; most numerous in the breeding season, rarer in the 
winter. The dunlin is sparsely scattered all through the 
moorland districts in the breeding season, being most 
numerous in the wet fiowlands of the centre, but nowhere 
very abundant. From its unobtrusive habits and extreme 
tameness it does not appear to be as common as it is. The 
only place we have observed it in winter is on the large 
mud-flats on the north-east side of the Little Ferry, and 
Sheriff Mackenzie records it as common on the Dornoch 
Firth, near which it breeds in one locality. An annual 
breeder also at Lairg, and on the flows westward to Loch 
Shin, above Oykel Bridge, and at Loch Urigill, where it 
has greatly increased of late years up to date of 1886, and 
again near Loch Inver at one locality. Very common near 
Cape Wrath and Tongue. 
Wolley shot dunlins " by Loch Assynt ; not breeding 
just there, as they were in small flocks in May " (Woll. 
