The Annals 



of 



Scottish Natural History 



NO. 36] 1900 [OCTOBER 



THE GREYLAGS OF BLAIR DRUMMOND. 



By Lieutenant-Colonel DUTHIE, 

 Member of the British Ornithologists' Union. 



To dwellers in the lower parts of the Vale of Menteith, a 

 not uncommon sight is presented, especially in the autumn 

 after the crops are gathered, of a flock of geese flying over- 

 head in their well-known V-shaped order, uttering their wild, 

 gaggling notes as they proceed on their way. 



" Wise persons who don't know " prophesy a hard winter, 

 for have not the wild geese already arrived from the north ! 

 But to those who live in the district these birds are easily 

 recognised as the wild geese of Blair Drummond. 



From information kindly supplied to me by Colonel 

 Home-Drummond, from notes made by his keepers, and 

 from observations of my own, I am able to give the follow- 

 ing facts regarding these birds, which may be useful to com- 

 pare with the observations of those who have the opportunity 

 of studying the habits of other flocks of semi-domesticated 

 water- fowl. The birds referred to are Greylag Geese (Anser 

 cinereus}. The original pair came from North Uist, having 

 been given by the late Sir John Campbell-Orde to the late 

 Mr. Charles Drummond -Moray of Abercairney a little over 

 twelve years ago. Both birds were pinioned, and they were 

 36 B 



