STARLING IN SCOTLAND, INCREASE AND DISTRIBUTION 13 



forties. (Drymen Bridge is still farther west by about 7 

 miles.) 



Miss Mary Blackburn of Killearn, in the Blane valley, 

 gives us valuable information at this point carefully dated 

 and reliable. In 1838, not a Starling was to be seen in the 

 district by Miss Blackburn's grandfather. The next year 

 (1839), he saw one or two, and he and a young groom 

 " stealt a horse out of the stable " before any one was up in 

 the morning, and went to Craigbarnet and took a Starling's 

 nest there. " For four or five years after," continues Miss 

 Blackburn, " he never saw another nest ; but, then, the old 

 butler here who was a great bird-fancier put up a box, and 

 a Starling built in it, and since then they have increased 

 rapidly. I do not think they are as numerous now as they 

 were twenty years ago (say 1871)." By other notes from 

 Miss Blackburn, there seems to have been a decided falling 

 off in their numbers of late ; but we cannot find space for all 

 these interesting notes. They, however, very clearly seem to 

 indicate an extension from Clyde, up the Blane valley, round 

 the western bases of the Campsie Fells (or central hill 

 ranges of Stirlingshire) ; and the data obtained from other 

 sources coincide in a remarkable degree. 



We now return to the north coast of the Firth of Forth, 

 and follow the northern enclosing rim of the Ochils, Lomonds, 

 and Fife Hills to Callander, via Stirling and the north side 

 of the Vale of Menteith, and see how far dates there can be 

 found to fit in (or otherwise) with those given from the south 

 side of the Vale of Menteith. 



On Lundin and Montrave in Fife, as we are informed 

 by Mr. John Gilmour, " an immense increase has taken 

 place." He continues : " Thirty-three years ago, only one 

 pair was known to nest, in an old tree on a farm, and young 

 were taken as pets. Since then (say 1859), they have in- 

 creased rapidly, and they roost in thousands in Lundin fir- 

 wood." 



Passing farther west to Brankstone Grange, Mr. J. J. 

 Dalgleish says : " Very decided increase observable since 

 about 1850" (compare here "New Statistical Account of 

 Clackmannan, ut sup?) 



At Coldoch in South-West Perthshire, overlooking the Vale 



