ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES MADE IN ISLAND OF BUTE 143 



PLECTROPHENAX NIVALIS (Z.). Prior to the frost I saw no Snow 

 Buntings, but early in January they made their appearance, and by 

 the loth flocks were to be seen about every other farm in the 

 Scalpsie and Stravanan district. The first I observed, however, 

 were at the remote farm of Kilmichael in the north-west corner of 

 the island. 



STURNUS VULGARIS, Z. Of the many common birds, few were 

 more so than the Starling. Many -.vere daily to be seen about the 

 castle and other parts of Rothesay; others frequented the coasts, 

 where they evidently found a plentiful supply of food among the 

 rejectamenta and the seaweed-covered rocks. No bird suffered less, 

 Mr. Bodin tells me, from the severity of the long storm. 



CORVUS MONEDULA, Z. Jackdaws were also abundant, large 

 numbers consorting nightly with the Rooks at Mount Stuart rookery. 



CORVUS CORAX, Z. Twice only was the Raven recognised ; 

 namely one on the 8th January, crossing from Ardlamont, and two 

 on the nth, passing over Barone Hill towards Loch Dhu. At the 

 time the two last mentioned made their appearance, I was watching 

 a mole endeavouring to force its way into the frozen ground, and 

 their croaks as they circled close overhead were very significant of 

 their interest in my proceedings. 



CORVUS CORONE, Z., and C. CORNIX, Z. A goodly number of 

 Crows were seen, especially along shore on the west side of the 

 island ; and to judge by the number of intermediate plumaged 

 birds, interbreeding must be common. In the course of a walk 

 from Scalpsie Bay to St. Ninian's Bay (a rocky part of the coast), I 

 counted over twenty, some pure but the majority mixed. Of two 

 together at one point, one was a typical Black (Carrion) Crow, the 

 other a typical Grey (Hooded) Crow ; while at another point a typical 

 grey- back and one not greyer than a jackdaw were in company. On 

 another occasion (at Lubas Bay), of seven together on the rocks, 

 three were well-marked grey-backs, two were entirely black, and two 

 intermediate. 



CORVUS FRUGILEGUS, Z. The rookery at Mount Stuart is the 

 winter abode not only of the large number of Rooks which nest 

 there and at Port Bannatyne, but also of many reared on the 

 adjoining mainland of Argyll, and likewise of hundreds of Jackdaws. 

 Towards evening the innumerable flocks which in the daytime were 

 scattered over the island in search of food, assembled among the rocks 

 on the foreshore opposite the rookery prior to settling for the night. 



ALAUDA ARVENSIS, Z. Skylarks, though frequently observed 

 during the mild weather of December, could scarcely be regarded 

 as abundant till the storm set in, when a very marked increase 

 speedily took place, the flocks betaking themselves for the most part 

 to the farm-lands on the west side of the island. 



