306 PROCEEDINGS OP THE 



Willow Warbler. He says, "I never saw them so abundant;" and 

 the same is very generally observed elsewhere. 



MEADOW PIPIT. 



Anthus pratensis (Lin.). 

 A few were still lingering in sheltered localities amongst the 

 hills of Perthshire as late as the 16th Oct., 1879. 



LARK. 



Alauda arvensis, Lin. 

 Reported as unusually abundant in Berwickshire, while Starlings 

 are scarcer. To those apt to jump to conclusions, this would 

 appear to be direct evidence of the Starlings' misdeeds, as ex- 

 pounded in the Scotsman of June and July, 1880 ; but the increase 

 of Larks must not be thus summarily accounted for. Unusual 

 abundance of some particular kind of food brought into existence 

 by the dry season is more probably the reason of the increase of 

 the Larks this spring and summer in Berwickshire, while the 

 decrease of Starlings is probably owing to a somewhat similar cause 

 — local scarcity of suitable food. 



THRUSH. 



Turdus musicus, Lin. 



As many as 700 Mavises have been caught in one night at the 

 Skerryvore Lighthouse, off Tyree, but not this year. Mr. Maloch 

 still notes the scarcity of Thrushes, and has not seen this season 

 one for fifty of Thrushes, Redwings, Fieldfares, or Missel Thrushes. 

 The absence of the foreign Thrushes [Turdus pilaris, and T. iliacus] 

 may result from other causes connected with migration. The 

 absence or scarcity, however, of T. musicus, it is believed, is still 

 the effect of the hard winter of 1878-79 [see First Report, p. 156]. 

 Mr. Chisholm, Bowmore, Islay, reports that the Mavis has not 

 been seen there for the past twelve months. Scarcity is reported 

 up to the close of the summer months of 1880. 



I observed small flocks in the birch woods of Ardnamurchan on 

 28th Oct., 1879. Reported as still very scarce in Berwickshire 

 by Mr. Hardy (in lit., 19, vii., 80). 



BLACKBIRD. 



Turdus merula, Lin. 

 Mr. Chisholm reports it much scarcer in Islay, but not quite 

 absent. Mr. Lumsden reports them as very scarce all last autumn 



