2io ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



THE GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER'S RESUS- 

 CITATION IN SCOTLAND SINCE 1841 OR 1851. 



By J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, F.R.S.E., F.Z.S. 



INTRODUCTION. 



IN the following paper I have given merely a summary of 

 carefully sifted information, which I hold is sufficient for the 

 purpose of tracing the steps of advance of the species 

 under treatment. 



For all the records plotted on the accompanying sketch 

 map, I hold authority, as communications from my corre- 

 spondents. But these are too long (however interesting many 

 are) and too diffuse for publication here. 



Indeed, I have prepared and originally intended for press, 

 the whole subject duly chronicled down to date, from which 

 the accompanying map was worked up. The paper I now 

 offer is much shorter, and has been written from the results 

 plotted on the map, and, as I have already indicated, will 

 suffice to show the lines of the advances made by the species 

 during the past twenty years from the south to the north. 

 I do not in this place enter into the question of what species 

 or subspecies the present invaders belong to, nor into the 

 cognate question of what species or subspecies or 

 geographical race formerly populated the North of Scotland 

 beyond the Grampians. I am content to await developments ; 

 and my interest lies in the former of the two questions, and 

 whether they will occupy the old northern haunts, or leave 

 them to a more northern geographical race. Therein I con- 

 sider the true interest lies at the present time, and allied 

 to that, of course, the other question also. Students of 

 geographical distribution of European birds will under- 

 stand what is left unsaid in this place ; and perhaps also 

 realise that we are on the verge of a new philosophy, as 

 shadowed forth in the prospectus of yet another book of 

 British birds, with more of the aspects of sport and com- 

 merce, and perhaps socialism, than pure science. 1 



As a sort of text to this paper and in further illustration, 



1 So there is less pleasure in ' sowing pearls ' than formerly. 



