NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 59 



tree in the garden. This may have been from the fact of being 

 partially disbudded, or the buds that were destroyed having been 

 affected with caterpillars, and so prevented the spreading — leaving 

 the buds that remained to perfect their fruit in security." 



Greenfinch. — Ligurinus chloris (Linnaeus). Plentifully dis- 

 tributed throughout the valley of the Tay. 



Goldfinch. — Carduelis elegans, Stephens. Tolerably numerous 

 in summer. I have seen several come close to the verandah at Killie- 

 chassie, near Aberfeldy, where I had put a cage with a canary, 

 and imitate it to perfection. 



Siskin. — Carduelis spinus (Linnaeus). Rare, but I have seen a 

 nest on an island in the Tay, opposite Dalguise. It also breeds at 

 Rannoch,* and at Killin,t as well as near Pitlochry, where Col. 

 Drummond Hay says that it is abundant in winter. 



Obs. Mealy Redpoll, — Linota linaria (Linnaeus). Mentioned in 

 the New Statistical Account of Scotland, 1845, as a rare bird 

 in Killin parish, but I have never observed it myself. 



Lesser Bed poll. —Linota rufescens (Vieillot). Rare, but occurs 

 near Pitlochry and Killin. 



Linnet. — Linota cannabina (Linnaeus). Common. 



Chaffinch, — Pringilla coelebs, Linnaeus. One of the commonest 

 birds in the district. 



Br ambling. — Fringilla montifringilla, Linnaeus. Rare. Mr. 

 E. T. Booth has taken a nest of the Brambling in Glenlyon, 

 Perthshire^; and Mr. Dewar has shot one near Loch Tay. 



House Sparroio. — Passer domesticus (Linnaeus). Very common. 

 This species, Col. Drummond Hay says, is much more abundant 

 than formerly in the Upper Athole district. About twenty or 

 thirty years ago he can hardly recollect having seen one. 



Crossbill. — Loxia curvirostra, Linnaeus. This bird is very 

 abundant in the neighbourhood of Dunkeld during the winter 

 months,§ and is mentioned in the Old Statistical Account of 

 Scotland as having first appeared in Dunkeld when the larch was 

 planted there. Col. Drummond Hay has frequently noticed these 

 birds in the woods near Pitlochry, especially among Scotch firs, and 

 so late in the season as to lead him to suppose that, being early 



* See Zoologist, 1871, p. 2656. t Jardiue, Nat. Lib., p. 278. 



X Zoologist, 1877. p. 60. 



§ See New Statistical Account of Scotland, Dunkeld Parish. 



