NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 243 



Ring Dove. — Columba pahtmbus, Lin. Very common, and 

 getting more so every year, with the increase of woods. 



Stock Dove. — Columba oenas, Lin. An occasional visitor. It 

 is included in Mr. Arbutlmot's list of the birds of Peterhead.* 



Rock Dove. — Columba livia, Brisson. Not so common as it 

 used to be. Formerly it was plentifully distributed all along the 

 rocky parts of the Aberdeenshire coast, but now the only place 

 where a few pairs still breed is in the neighbourhood of Slains 

 Castle, the seat of the Earl of Errol. 



Turtle Dove. — Turtur auritus, Gray. Mr. J. Henderson, 

 formerly gamekeeper at Brucklay Castle, tells me that when 

 walking in a wood near the avenue there, without his gun, he 

 twice put up a Turtle Dove, and from its being so unwilling to 

 leave the place, he conjectured that it was a young bird, and that 

 it had been hatched and reared in the wood. He adds that he is 

 quite convinced it was a wild bird and not one escaped from 

 confinement. 



ACCIPITRES. 



Barn Owl. — Aluco flammeus (Lin.). Rare. 



Long-eared Owl. — Asio otus (Lin.). Tolerably common. 



Short-eared Owl. — Asio accipitrinus (Pallas). A winter visitor, 

 but by no means common. 



Tawny Owl. — Strix stridula, Lin. The commonest of all this 

 genus in the district. 



Snowy Owl. — Nyctea scandiaca (Lin.). A specimen of this 

 noble bird was picked up dead upon the Loch of Strathbeg about 

 1824. 



Obs. Eagle Owl. — Bubo ignavus, Forster. Mr. W. C. Angus 

 gives a very interesting account of a bird of this species being seeD 

 in the neighbourhood of Methlick.f 



Sparrow Hawk. — Accipiter nisus (Lin.). Very common some 

 years ago, but not so now. 



Gos-Hawk. — Astur palumbarius (Lin.). Rare. Has been 

 trapped and shot several times in the neighbourhood of Strathbeg. 1 



Hen Harrier. — Circus cyaneus (Lin.). Rather rare. Mr. 

 George Sim tells me that one was killed at Slains Castle on 16th 



L cr 



' New Stat. Acct., vol. xii., p. 351. 

 t Gray's " Birds of West of Scotland," p. 55. 



X Nat., vol. iv., pp. 263-271. 

 VOL. IV. R 



