Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/322

296 —Divers, both Black-throated and Red-throated, are far from uncommon in Scotland, their general range in the breeding season being sufficiently accurately defined for present purposes as "in the north and west." But they are not, I think, so plentiful as to be considered inhabitants of all or nearly all the larger lochs in these parts of the country (p. 258). Nor is it the case that Divers of either species always prefer the larger lochs for breeding purposes. Even the Black-throated species will be found quite as frequently breeding upon smaller lakes, provided there be a suitable green and grassy shelving island upon it. Sometimes, it is true, they will choose a large loch to breed upon, but their reason for doing so is not, I think, so much for its size as on account of the green, shelving island, upon the edge or rim of which they can make their nest close to the water. Where green and grassy islands do not occur, the general rule holds that upon such lochs no Divers will be found, although exceptions to the rule occur, and have come under my own observation, so rarely, however, as to be noted as quite exceptional by the native gamekeepers and shepherds. Again, two pairs of Divers nesting on one loch is the exception, although it is well known that they sometimes do so. Lastly, Red-throated Divers, according to my experience, rarely, if ever, breed upon the larger lochs, but prefer the quiet, moorland, marshy-edged tarns and "lochans," often nesting on the shores, and frequenting the larger lochs only in quest of food. Although also found in the West, their distribution would perhaps be more accurately described as northerly and north-easterly on the mainland—rarer in the West, and insular. See my notes on these two species in my "Birds found Nesting in Sutherland" (Proc. Glasg. Nat. Hist. Soc. 1875, pp. 122–124). I may take this opportunity of stating that Divers, and several other of our rarer British breeding species, are still holding their ground well here, being carefully preserved from ruthless and general persecution; whilst some others, especially certain Raptorial birds, as Merlins, Harriers and Buzzards, are decidedly scarcer than they were eight or nine years ago. Others, again of the migratory species, notably the House Martin, are rarer, and have almost deserted the west of the county, whilst a few others, such as the Starling and Song Thrush, have appeared of late years at localities where they were not previously known, and the Chaffinch has become almost common in one locality where it was quite rare before. I hope, at some future opportunity, to put together a few notes on the changes observable in the Avi-fauna of Sutherland during the past eight or ten years. Meanwhile the above rough notes may be acceptable to British ornithologists.— (Dunipace House, Larbert, N.B.).

—In 'The Zoologist' for May, at page 228, I recorded the capture of a Little Owl near Shoreham on the 15th March last. On the 21st of the following month another was