STARLING IN SCOTLAND, INCREASE AND DISTRIBUTION 7 



as at Gigha, Cantyre, and Ballantrae (in Ayrshire) upon the 

 same migratory course. 



In the "Agricultural Survey of Scotland," by various 

 authors, dating 1793 to 1815, it is interesting to observe 

 that there are only two notices of the Starling, neither of 

 which are of much value. One relates to the island of Arran, 

 which merely includes it amongst other smaller species as 

 "seem to be migrating" Arran, 1807. The other relates to 

 Forfarshire, in Don's appendix to the volume on that county, 

 where he says : " Sturrius vulgaris, the Starling : frequent on 

 the mountains,"- which we can hardly accept, notwithstanding 

 Mr. Don's well-known abilities as an observer. 



Coming now to the records of the " New Statistical 

 Account," dating about forty to forty-five years later, or say 

 about the middle of the present century, we find in some 

 respects a valuable comparison. Not a single record appears 

 yet from any south-east locality in Scotland, i.e. from the 

 whole county of Berwick or the east part of East Lothian. But 

 when we come north to Midlothian and the western portion 

 of East Lothian we find it recorded as a rarity by Mr. Weir 

 in the latter county (pp. at. vol. ii. p. 156, 1842), and by the 

 Rev. Thomas Wright as nesting to the extent of two pairs 

 in the old trees and ruins of Borthwick Church (vol. i. p. 159, 

 i 843) ; and it is spoken of as a rare species in the district of 

 Galashiels (vol. Hi. p. 15, 1842). In Roxburgh it is spoken 

 of as " having for many years disappeared," but " has again 

 returned, and become common" (vol. iii. p. 4, 1842); and 

 also as occurring in Eckford parish. 



But when we come over the ridge into the Solway basin, 

 we find it more frequently recorded. Definite records occur 

 in Wigtownshire, thus: "Coming in much larger flocks than 

 formerly, along with Fieldfares." In Portpatrick parish: "The 

 Starling appears in considerable numbers once a year, and 

 sometimes twice, and has been known to breed (vol. iii. 

 p. 137, 1842). Then in Ayrshire the notices are more 

 frequent, and are given in the parishes of Ayr, Ardrossan, 

 and Dunlop : "The Starlings, which a few years ago were 

 almost unknown, are now very common." Old Cumnock : 

 " Has begun to visit us, and also in Stevenston, Kilbirnie, and 

 Kilwinning." In Lanarkshire it is still spoken of as rare in 



