200 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



During the winter of 1878-79 many species of small birds — and 

 indeed some of the larger ones also — suffered most severely from 

 the long- continued hard frost and snow, one result of this being a 

 great reduction in the numbers of Blackbirds and Thrushes. 

 Never do I remember seeing so few of those birds on the banks of 

 Loch Lomond as during the past summer, and in some gardens 

 gooseberries were allowed to hang on the bushes quite unprotected 

 by nets, which have in most seasons to be used long before the 

 fruit is ripe. Starlings also suffered, but are not mourned for, as 

 their numbers had of late years increased to such an extent that 

 they are now by many people included in the list of pests. 

 Perhaps one cause of this is their most objectionable habit of 

 building their nests in the chimneys of houses. For it is disagree- 

 able to find, on the first cold day of early winter, when fires are 

 resumed, that there is not a vent in the house that will draiv, all 

 being filled with Starlings' nests. Nor would any one who has 

 not seen nests of these active little birds easily believe the large 

 amount of materials — hay, straw, feathers, and other odds and 

 ends — which a pair will stuff into a chimney. 



Black Game and Partridges were also scarce this year, as in 

 other parts of Scotland. The cold, late spring, however, must be 

 blamed for this rather than the severe winter months. 



BOUGH-LEGGED BUZZABD. 



BUTEO LAGOPUS (Gmelin). 

 Since my former list, three specimens of this species have been 

 got in the neighbourhood. One was taken in a trap set for Hooded 

 Crows at Arden, 31st March, 1876, and is a fine bird in perfect 

 plumage. One shot at Bowardennan, 20th November, 1876. One 

 taken 17th February, 1880, within a few yards of the same place 

 as the one caught at Arden in March, 1876. In this case also 

 the trap was set for Crows. The bird was a male, and its stomach 

 contained nothing but some digested vegetable matter. 



GBEAT GBEY SHBIKE. 



LANIUS EXCUBITOR, Linnaeus. 



A bird of this species was shot at Bossdhu, Luss, in December, 

 1878. On being examined its stomach was found to contain the 

 leg and feathers of a Bobin. The bird is now in the collection of 

 Mr. John Colquhoun, Edinburgh. 



