156 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



can gather from my own observations here, as well as those 

 of correspondents in Berwickshire and various other locali- 

 ties. I saw a pair on the west side of Loch Awe in the end 

 of April. They remained scarcer than usual throughout the 

 summer. In autumn [September] I saw large flocks, however, in 

 the Vale of Menteith, a warm and well-sheltered strath. Usually 

 shy, they came along with Common Thrushes and other species to 

 feed at a window-sill in Paxton House [auct. Mr. Geo. Muirhead]. 

 Gradually increased in numbers in many localities up to the late 

 severe winter, which caused their migration and consequent local 

 decrease. A few died. 



FIELDFARE. 



TURDUS PILARIS, Li//. 



Fieldfares early suffered from the storm, but not to the same 

 extent as Redwings. Still, large numbers were found dead, and 

 the coast line, brook sides near the sea, open commons, and 

 some of the Western Islands, were strewed with their wings and 

 other remains. I have reports from a large number of localities 

 both on the east and west coasts. Inland localities were very 

 soon deserted by them; in Stirlingshire few died, except in 

 the town of Stirling, where boys were also catching them and 

 Redwings with their caps [D. Bruce, ex ore\ Fieldfares and 

 Redwings reappeared near Kelso on the 10th March [A. Brother- 

 ston]. Mr. Service records their unusually early and large arrival 

 in the autumn of 1878. In 1879 their arrival was overdue quite 

 six weeks in the S.W. of Scotland on the 8th November \loc. cit.], 

 and fewer than usual were seen in the spring of 1879. 



THRUSH. 



T Urdus music us, Lin. 



These migrated southward at an early date. They had entirely 

 left Sutherland [Tongue district] long before Christmas. A few 

 were overtaken by the storm, and died, but the bulk appear to 

 have escaped to the south. Thus, a few were found dead at wall- 

 sides in Berwickshire by Mr. Hardy. During some mild days at 

 the beginning of March a few Thrushes were heard to sing, as at 

 Dunipacc and Callander [J. H. Buchanan, on 3rd March] ; but 

 their song soon ceased. All April was remai*kable for the absence 



