THE STOCK DOVE IN SCOTLAND 5 



lying clay kerse lands, which are not adapted to their 

 requirements. However this may be, inquiries made in the 

 east of Fife and in Forfarshire have elicited but little 

 account. Mr. W. Berry of Tayfield, near Tents Muir, knows 

 of a few pairs breeding there among the sand-hills ; but they 

 are far from abundant. Mr. Berry further informed us that, 

 according to the very careful observations of his gamekeeper, 

 he feels assured that Stock Doves have only "obtruded them- 

 selves on his notice " within the last two or three years. 

 They usually come in March ; and he saw three on Friday, 

 ist April 1892. Wood-pigeons are killed by the hundreds 

 by all the keepers, and also by the professional pigeon-killer 

 James Duffus of Pickletillum,who, however, says he remembers 

 sending one about eight or nine years ago to the British 

 Museum. A return from Blairadam estate, counties of 

 Fife and Kinross, filled in by Mr. David M'Diarmid, gives 

 "none known (i.e. in 1892). One was killed last spring, 

 that being the only one seen." 



In Forfar there is a similar dearth of records. Several 

 correspondents speak to their scarcity or complete absence. 

 Mr. A. N. Simpson "a reliable, and experienced ornith- 

 ologist here," as we are assured by Dr. Thomas F. Dewar, 

 Arbroath found it breeding some 7 miles inland. This is 

 the only authentic record of its occurrence near this. "It 

 may, of course, prove commoner ; but only rarely noted or 

 recognised, from its resemblance to the Ring Dove." The 

 above sentence was written upon the 4th April I 892. Of the 

 area around Montrose I have received the report : " I know 

 of no occurrence of the Stock Dove in Forfarshire;" and in a 

 later letter, dated 6th December 1893, he repeats : " I have 

 no positive information regarding the presence of the Stock 

 Dove in lowland Forfarshire," whilst " great numbers of Ring 

 Doves are shot in this quarter." 1 A little higher up Strath 

 Tay, in the Carse of Gowrie, at Seggieden, Col. Drummond- 

 Hay writes " Nil " in reply to my circular. But farther in- 

 land we find them appearing up the Tay valley in Glen 

 Almond, Lyndoch Hill, and about Blairgowrie (W. Berry). 

 A correspondent speaks of them as appearing "from a 



1 In a still later letter, Dr. Dewar records two, decidedly the first from the 

 district, brought in on I4th December 1893. 



