ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 245 



ZOOLOGICAL NOTES. 



On the Occurrence of Erithacus rubeeula rubeeula on South- 

 west Coast of Scotland. On 2nd November 1910 a robin was 

 sent to me from Mull of Galloway Lighthouse by Mr. Henderson 

 the Lightkeeper. I thought the bird was Erithacus rubeeula rube- 

 eula and my opinion was confirmed by Mr. H. F. Witherby, who 

 kindly examined it for me. ANNIE C. JACKSON, Swordale. 



Crossbills at Lerwiek. The Crossbills are again paying us a visit 

 The first that I heard of them was at Seafield, near Lerwiek, on i ith 

 inst, but my friend Geo. W. Russell tells me he heard of them before 

 that date. I saw none until last Sunday (23rd), when I saw a young 

 bird in the garden in the afternoon. On Monday morning I started 

 a cock and three hens which were feeding on an apple tree in the 

 garden. The same afternoon in the garden, I saw a cock and four 

 hens, I watched them at close quarters feeding on the apple trees 

 and honeysuckle. Later in the afternoon I saw some hens feeding 

 on the red currant bushes. On Tuesday I saw no birds. With 

 the exception of the first bird, all were adults. JOHN S. TULLOCH, 

 Lerwiek. 



Willow-wren's Nest in an old Song-thrush's Nest. On iSth 

 Tune last I discovered a Willow -wren's nest situated 3-0- feet from the 

 ground in a little dead spruce tree, surrounded by thickly-planted 

 young Scots firs. On taking this nest to pieces after the young birds 

 had fledged I found that it had been built in an old Song-thrush's 

 nest, the decayed-wood lining of which wasstill intact. The foundations 

 of the warbler's nest were of ordinary dimensions and material, but the 

 dome was unusually flimsy and incomplete, and the customary 

 feather-lining was almost absent, only two or three feathers being 

 noted. S. E. BROCK, Kirkliston. 



Local Variation in Song 1 of Tree-pipit (Anthus trivialis). When 

 in the Rothiemurchus district of Inverness-shire in early June this 

 year I was much struck with the character of the song of the Tree- 

 pipits of the locality, which song was very markedly distinct from 

 what one is accustomed to hear in the Lothians. While the whole 

 passage was readily distinguishable, the variation was greatest in the 

 opening notes, which bore considerable resemblance to the analogous 

 ones of the Chaffinch. All the Tree-pipits heard in the district sang 

 approximately the same strain. Local variation of bird song and 

 note is much more marked (or recognisable) in some species than 

 in others, the Chaffinch being an outstanding example. The song 

 of the latter in West Lothian, for instance, is quite easily separated 

 from that of the birds of South Perthshire, and even of Peeblesshire. 

 When in Hampshire a few years ago I detected local " accent " in 



