STARLING IN SCOTLAND, INCREASE AND DISTRIBUTION 17 



TAY. 



"Old Statistical Account," vol. ix. (1793), p. 235. 



Crossing northward from Forth into Tay by the shallow 

 depressions which lead from Stirling by the west end of 

 the Ochils, and by the " howes " or haughs of East Fife which 

 pass round the eastern end of the Fife Lomonds, we obtain 

 a certain number of records. But a blank wants filling up 

 on the Forth watershed which rather incommodes us. 



Our most interesting return is from a salient point over- 

 looking the Firth of Tay in the north-east corner of Fife, viz. 

 from Tayfield and Scotscraig ; and for this we are indebted 

 to Mr. William Berry of Tayfield. " At Tayfield," writes Mr. 

 Berry, " I have noticed little change in their numbers ; " and 

 at Scotscraig Mr. John Fowlis " has observed a great decrease 

 there during the last year or two." They used to roost in 

 great numbers in a large wood on the property. John 

 Fowlis has been about forty years keeper at Scotscraig, and 

 when he was interviewed again gave the following informa- 

 tion : 



"Thirty to thirty-five years ago (i.e. say 1856 to 1861), 

 a Starling was looked upon as a rarity. They then came 

 chiefly in summer. Four or five years ago they were in 

 thousands here. There were nests in every corner. They 

 roosted in clouds in the thick spruces of the West Hill, on 

 the cliffs there, and in the ivy on the garden wall. This 

 year (1891) there are very few." Mr. Berry adds : " Person- 

 ally I have seen little change in numbers (two miles west of 

 Scotscraig). When I first began to collect eggs, about 

 twenty years ago (say 1871), Starlings' eggs were easily ob- 

 tained, but not in quantities, and these words are perfectly 

 true at the present time. They are common, but their 

 numbers are not excessive." 



On the opposite side of the estuary of Tay, Dr. Robert 

 Robertson, of Fernbank House, Errol, reports an "extra- 

 ordinary increase," and goes on to say : " Fifty years ago 

 (say 1840 or 1841) only rarely a pair could be seen in this 

 district. At present they are in thousands, and have in- 

 creased steadily from then till now." Mr. Robertson cannot 

 say whence they came, but adds : " They were numerous 

 13 C 



