182 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



the number of Bramblings as at least 800 to 900 a comparatively 

 small flock when we recollect the huge swarms of this bird that 

 sometimes assemble here on a November day when beech nuts are 

 plentiful. Spring visits of this species are scarce and most unusual. 

 Next day we had a heavy general fall of deep snow. Were the 

 Bramblings and their feathered companions flying in advance of the 

 coming storm? ROBERT SERVICE, Maxwelltown. 



Golden Oriole in Renfrewshire. A Golden Oriole (Oriolus 

 galbula) was observed flying about in a garden in Renfrewshire 

 during the first half of May. It was afterwards found dead and 

 was sent to me. Mr. Kirk, of Glasgow, by whom the bird has been 

 mounted, informs me that it is a young male. W. HORTON, 

 Glasgow. 



Blackbird and Thrush laying together. From time to time 

 one finds irregularities in the nesting of our commoner birds, e.g. 

 two females of one species deposit their eggs in the same nest, or 

 the eggs of different species occur in the same nest. 



As a rule the stranger is easily detected. One would usually 

 account for its appearance by supposing that the parent, forced to 

 lay away from its own nest, had temporarily occupied the first suit- 

 able one that offered. In support of this is the fact that eggs are 

 often found laid at random under hedges or bushes or even in the 

 open. I have seen eight eggs in a Rook's nest, Pheasant eggs among 

 Partridges, Tufted Duck's with those of the Shoveller. Recently, 

 4th May, the gardener at " The Cottage," Nethercraigs, by Paisley, 

 showed me on a piece of waste ground near the house a Blackbird's 

 nest containing six eggs of which three were of the Song Thrush. 

 The nest, finished the previous week, had been closely watched. 

 The birds were observed to lay on alternate days, and fought for 

 the privilege of sitting. On 4th May the female Blackbird occupied 

 the nest. From later observation it appears that the quarrelling of 

 the parent birds did not cease as incubation advanced. In these 

 fights the female Thrush usually succeeded in driving off the female 

 Blackbird, but of the males the Blackbird proved the stronger. 

 When the eggs hatched, a battle royal occurred which left the Black- 

 birds in possession for the time. The end of this curious venture 

 came one Sunday when the nest was harried by a band of mill 

 workers. There were in it then five young birds ; whether the sixth 

 egg hatched or not I have been unable to ascertain. JAMES 

 WATERSTON, Edinburgh. 



Yellow-browed Warbler in Dumfriesshire in Spring. At 

 Lockerbie on the nth of April, I had the pleasure of watching one 

 of these singularly interesting birds for fully half an hour, as it flitted 

 along a hedge, occasionally making short flights in the air to catch 

 some insect on the wing. I got within about four feet of the little 

 creature while it was busily engaged searching for food, and was 



