Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/185

Rh There was a very large advent of wild-fowl in the Humber on Christmas Day. My informant, who is a capital shot, and has lived on the Humber-side all his life, said he never remembered to have seen so many geese and ducks in the Humber in all his experience, and I am certain no one could be better qualified to give an opinion. Amongst the slain on this side of the Humber were three Bernicle Geese: they were shot by a young farmer, a son of the person above referred to.

 

ancient city of St. Andrews stands upon a small and somewhat rocky promontory on the eastern seaboard of Scotland, in front of which stretches an arm of the sea called St. Andrew's Bay, bounded on the south by that portion of the county of Fife terminating in Fife Ness (in the provincial dialect known as the "East Neuk o' Fife"), on the north by Forfarshire, terminating in the bold rocky headland called the "Red Head." To the north of the town is the small and dangerous harbour, and beyond, towards Fife Ness and the mouth of the Forth, a somewhat monotonous line of rocky coast scenery, nowhere attaining a sufficient altitude for the nesting of sea-birds. These low rocks, however, when uncovered at low tide are the favourite resort of such birds as the Turnstone, Purple Sandpiper and Rock Pipit. On the north the coast is of a perfectly different character, being flat and sandy, a natural line of sandhills preventing the sea from overflowing a low-lying cultivated country which stretches for some miles inland. Two miles to the north of the town the River Eden flows into St. Andrew's Bay. This sluggish stream forms at its mouth an estuary of some three miles in length and about a mile in width: at high tide it has the appearance of a salt-water loch and at low tide forms a considerable extent of mud-flat and mussel-scaup, peculiarly adapted to the requirements of waders, sea ducks, et id genus omne—an advantage, I am glad to say, which they seem fully to recognise and appreciate. Beyond the Eden to the Tay lies a bleak and wild moorland called "Tent's Muir," skirted on 