Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/187

Rh eventually settling some thirty yards off. One which I shot proved to be a Little Stint. This small Tringa seems to be somewhat rare on this coast; I have not noticed it before, and the gunners do not seem to know it. Probably it is a regular autumnal visitor, but from its small size is apt to be overlooked. Mr. Harvie Brown informs me he has procured specimens upon the Forth on several occasions.

On the 19th October I shot a Curlew Sandpiper out of a flock of Dunlins: as they flew past me a third at least of the birds appeared to be white-rumped, but although I dropped six of the number I only procured one Curlew Sandpiper. When snipe shooting on Tent's Muir on the 27th I saw a Marsh Harrier on the wing. The Snow Bunting was first seen on the 30th, when a single bird was procured.

During the first week of November about a dozen Turnstones were observed on the rocks below the town. These birds seem to be local on this part of the coast: I generally find them about the same spot, feeding on the rocks uncovered at low tide. The first fall of snow of any consequence was on the 9th, on which day a few Bramblings were seen amongst a flock of Chaffinches and Linnets; large flocks of Larks, Fieldfares and Redwings were flying south in continued succession all day. A flock of about two hundred wild geese passed over the town on the 29th; they have been very scarce in this neighbourhood during the past autumn and winter.

On the 3rd December I noticed several Skuas chasing the Gulls that were fishing on the Eden bar. Amongst the latter was a Kittiwake: this species, although it is numerous enough during the summer, and breeds in some numbers on the Island of May—a few miles distant, is rarely seen here in the winter.

When shooting along the coast with Mr. Harvie Brown on the 6th December, we noticed flying towards us over the bay at a great height an immense number of Wood Pigeons. The flock must have been about five miles in length, and was preceded by a closely compact advanced guard, which in itself must have consisted of some hundreds of birds, the remainder following in a long straggling line. We watched them for some time after they had passed us as they flew in a north-westerly direction, until lost to sight over the Forfarshire hills. When just seen they were some miles out at sea, the coast of Norway lying behind them, and Rh