ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 183 



of the " Annals " may be able to give some information on the 

 subject. JOHN PATERSON, Govanhill. 



[This species is said to have nested in the South-Eastern districts 

 of Scotland. On the West it is only to be regarded as very rare ; and 

 we do not remember, at the moment, an authentic instance of its 

 having nested there. EDS.] 



Cuckoos (Cuculus canorus] and Caterpillars. It would be 

 interesting to know whether in other places a much larger number of 

 Cuckoos than usual have been noticed, or whether this place has been 

 specially favoured by a convocation of these birds. In ordinary years 

 we usually see a solitary Cuckoo several times in the season, and 

 hear them in the ordinary way ; but this spring the walled garden 

 which adjoins the house, and the woods round the house, have for 

 above a week been absolutely alive with them. On the 22nd of 

 May, I noticed an extraordinary number of these birds, and was 

 surprised at the free way in which they showed themselves. As 

 many as three or four would fly up from among the fruit bushes in 

 the garden. One evening, between 8 and 9 p.m., we frightened as 

 many as six of these birds from the garden ; while the trees round the 

 house seemed full of others cuckooing loudly. The convocation 

 seems dispersing now 7 . Whether the severe measures the gardener is 

 taking to get rid of a perfect plague of Caterpillars in the gooseberry 

 bushes has brought this about, I do not know, but certainly since 

 he gave the bushes a dressing of black-soap and water and paraffin 

 a few nights ago, our Cuckoos have not been so much in the garden. 

 E. L. MACDOWALL, Lochwinnoch. 



The Merlin (Falco asaloji) as an enemy of the Vole. In his 



evidence before the Commission on the Vole Plague, one of the 

 witnesses states that the Merlin did not prey on Voles. That it does 

 so, when it has the opportunity, is shown by the fact that two Voles 

 newly killed were found lying at the margin of a nest of this bird 

 on the Pentland Hills, which contained young. T. G. LAIDLAW, 

 Edinburgh. 



Quail in Mid-Lothian (Coturnix commit nis). I had the pleasure 

 of hearing two birds on the afternoon of Thursday, iSth May. The 

 first was in a rye-grass field on the farm of Loanhead, which lies to 

 the east of the village of Pathhead. The other, which was also in 

 rye-grass, was on the farm of Remote, which lies to the east of, and 

 adjoins the first -named farm. The birds were nearly half a mile 

 apart ; but I could hear both calling at intervals, while walking from 

 the one field to the other. I was close to both birds, but thought 

 it prudent not to disturb them. Mr. T. N. M'Dowall, farmer, 

 Remote, who was accompanying me, informed me that he had, for 

 a time previously, heard birds on his own and adjoining farms. 

 Remote is near the East Lothian boundary. P. ADAIR, Edinburgh. 



