I 4 o ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



winter : it must have been a trying time for them, however, 

 and several are reported to have been found dead. 



The number of species identified was ninety-one a fair 

 indication that the island is a favourite avian winter haunt. 

 A few others among them the Purple Sandpiper which I 

 fully expected to have met with probably escaped notice. 



Although arranged for convenience of reference in the 

 form of an annotated list of species according to the arrange- 

 ment and nomenclature of Saunders' " Manual of British 

 Birds," the following notes are nothing more than a record 

 of personal observations : to have attempted anything in the 

 form of a catalogue of even the winter birds of Bute would 

 have been mere presumption on my part. 



NOTES UNDER SPECIES. 



TURDUS VISCIVORUS, L. The Missel Thrush was observed from 

 the first, but only in limited numbers, and the storm which set in 

 during the closing days of December did not produce any perceptible 

 increase. 



TURDUS MUSICUS, L. During the first ten days of my visit, 

 only five solitary Mavises were seen ; after that the daily record was 

 about half a dozen. The storm had either made those already on 

 the island draw more in about the gardens and farm-steadings, or 

 driven over others from adjacent districts ; in any case the number 

 wintering even in Bute seems to be comparatively small. 



TURDUS ILIACUS, Z. Redwings, in parties of from five to thirty, 

 were met with almost daily both before and after the advent of the 

 storm. By the middle of January they were feeling the effects of 

 the frost keenly, and numbers were to be seen searching for food 

 among the seaweed-covered rocks. 



TURDUS PILARIS, L. No Fieldfares were observed till the storm 

 set in, when they made their appearance, at first in small numbers, 

 but soon in considerable flocks, frequenting chiefly the arable lands 

 on the south-west of the island. 



TURDUS MERULA, L. Throughout the whole of my visit no 

 bird was more in evidence than the Blackbird, which literally 

 swarmed in the neighbourhood of Rothesay, and, indeed, in most 

 parts of the island. On every bit of pasture some were sure to be 

 visible, and often as many as fifteen to twenty were counted within 

 the four corners of a small field. 



ERITHACUS RUBECULA (Z.). Robins were also abundant, and 

 during the time of the frost they were continually showing themselves 

 on the roadsides, as if begging for crumbs. 



