6 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



of nettles we should have seen it. However, the mystery 

 was soon solved ; as we were standing quite silently just 

 above a rabbit-hole, out of the burrow came a Common 

 Whitethroat which, on seeing us, retreated far down the 

 hole again, and we saw it several times afterwards taking 

 covert in the same way. 



25th September was a day with light east wind and fog 

 in the morning and evening ; it was one of our red-letter 

 days. On going out we found more Wheatears, Redstarts, 

 and Garden Warblers, a Yellow-browed Warbler, the first 

 Chaffinch (F. ccelebs) of the season and many Bramblings 

 and Siskins. A few Pied Flycatchers were also present, 

 and down in Mr. Ross's garden a Red-breasted Flycatcher 

 (M. parvd). This bird's behaviour was very like that of 

 the Pied Flycatcher, it flitted about in the same way, and, 

 when it settled, ducked, jerking its wings. It was not very 

 shy, and when procured was found to be a male. This is 

 the first record of this bird in the Forth Area. We saw 

 several White Wagtails and Tree Pipits, a Reed Bunting 

 (E. scJiceniclus), and a Little Bunting (E. pusilla) which we 

 were fortunate enough to secure ; this bird is another first 

 record for " Forth." It was not at all wild, and uttered 

 a gentle little twittering song as it stood on the ground. 

 Four Golden Plovers were running about on the high part 

 of the island. 



Sunday 26th was another good day, Redwings (T. 

 iliacus] and Ring Ouzels (T, torquatus] had arrived, one of 

 the latter being in beautiful summer plumage. We also 

 observed the largest male Wheatear we have ever seen, 

 evidently 5". cenanthe leucorrhoa, Redstarts, a Whitethroat, 

 two Lesser Whitethroats, a good many Willow Warblers 

 (P. trochilus\ and two Yellow-browed Warblers. These 

 last-named are self-assertive little birds ; one of them wanted 

 to sit on a twig that had already been appropriated by a 

 Lesser Whitethroat, and the impertinent mite hustled and 

 bustled poor curruca till it had to quit, leaving snperciliosus 

 in possession. The Garden Warblers were feeding on 

 large caterpillars, which looked very like those of M. 

 brassica. Several times when we flushed one of these birds 

 out of the cabbages, it rose holding a big larva in its beak, 



