NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 301 



at Dunipace. Keen frost set in on the 16th January, and continued 

 till the 26th. 16° of frost registered during the nights of 17th and 

 18th at Dunipace. Frost continued till evening of 26th January, 

 succeeded by slow thaw till evening of 28th, when high S.W. wind 

 and rapid thaw set in. 



Lovely weather succeeded, and February was very fine through- 

 out Scotland ; but March " came in like a lion," with gales from 

 S.S.W., and snow and rain. 



Birds appeared on the increase, Chaffinches, Thrushes, and 

 Blackbirds singing plentifully in Stirlingshire, and Tits having 

 distinctly increased in numbers. 



The gales at the beginning of March were succeeded by fine genial 

 spring weather, and birds apparently daily increasing in number. 



Occasional snow showers up to 15th March in certain parts, but 

 the weather noted as generally fine and spring-like. 



The close of March was fine but cold, with east winds and night 

 frosts, the ground being white with hoar-frost on several mornings, 

 notably that of 18th March. All April was bright but cold, with 

 east winds ; and beautiful weather succeeded in May, but still with 

 occasional night frosts. On the 10th May a refreshing rain fell 

 after long-continued drought, but lasted only a short quarter of an 

 hour. On the whole, birds appear to have recovered greatly in 

 numbers, appearing almost as plentiful as formerly, but in many 

 localities this cannot be said yet to be the case. Thus, at Garrel 

 Glen, Kilsyth, a weaver informed Mr. J. B. Murdoch that there 

 is still a very noticeable difference. The nests this year are very 

 much fewer than before the winter of 1878-79. 



Some of the migratory species appear to be unusually abundant, 

 especially the Leaf Warblers, and of these notably the common 

 Willow Warbler. I have various accounts confirmatory of this, 

 besides my own observations in Stirlingshire and elsewhere. From 

 Islay Mr. Chisholm reports great scarcity, or almost total absence 

 of Finches and Yellow Hammers in February, but Sparrows as 

 abundant ; Fieldfare and Redwing scarce ; Chough not to be seen.* 

 In former years the King Ouzel came in considerable numbers at 



* In the Courant, however, it is recorded that Mr. Roderick Colquhoim 

 sent to Mr. Small, birdstuffer, Edinburgh, a fine specimen of the Cornish 

 Chough, which he shot on the 11th May, at Ballinaby, Islay. This shows 

 that, if they were completely absent in February, they had returned by 

 May. 



