A very fine little fellow. I once had a desperate hunt after one. (See [p. 140].)
Tringa temminckii [Temminck’s Stint].
Mr. Taylor, gamekeeper to the Earl of Fife, once shot a specimen on the Deveron bank.
Tringa variabilis [Dunlin].
This bird breeds in a few of our marshy places, and may now and then be met with along the coast. Towards autumn large flocks appear, but they do not remain long. Specimens may be picked up occasionally, during winter, almost pure white, except the bill, legs, and feet, which retain their usual colour. This species appears to differ considerably in size, the legs and bills included,—the larger birds often having the shortest bills.
Tringa maritima [Purple Sandpiper].
A rock-loving species whilst with us, never leaving the rocks unless from necessity. They are gregarious, and huddle so closely together that I have known as many as twenty-three killed at one shot. I have killed them occasionally during summer, their colour being then of a rufous or rusty character, or more like that of the dunlin, the purple gloss and dark gray plumage of winter having all but disappeared.
Gallinula crex [Landrail].
“Corn craig” or “crake.” Very sparingly distributed here. It arrives generally at the beginning of May, and departs usually in September, but I have seen it as late as December. These birds often feign themselves dead, when hard pressed, rather than fly,—a fact that may seem incredible to those who have paid no attention to such things. Is it possible that these birds remove their eggs on its coming to their knowledge that their nests have been discovered? I knew of a nest which contained seven eggs. I took one, and, wishing to get all that the hen would lay, left the remainder untouched; I also carefully obliterated all my foot-marks, to prevent others from suspecting anything if the nest was found. I went back three days afterwards, when, although there were no signs of human footprints, all the eggs were gone.
Gallinula pusilla [Little Crake].