DISTRIBUTION OF THE CHIFF-CHAFF IN THE CLYDE AREA. 51 



STIRLINGSHIRE; — The Only locality in this county (in the part 

 belonging to " Clyde ") that I know of its occurrence in, is Garrel 

 Glen, Kilsyth, where I saw and heard it in ]\fay, 1891. 



Lanarkshire. — As a Lanarkshire species, scarcely anything 

 can be said about it. Mr. James S. Dixon, in a letter addressed 

 to the Glasgoiu Herald, dated from Bothwell, May 29, 1895, 

 mentions it. '• At present, at least half-a-dozen pairs [of Garden- 

 warblers] are nesting in a wood [near Bothwell] formerly much 

 frequented by the Chiff-chaff and Wood-wren, this season till now 

 conspicuous by their absence." When I asked Mr. Dixon 

 resjardins: his knowledsje of the Chiff-chaff "s occurrence at the 

 locality in question, he qualified the statement above quoted by 

 saying that the Chiff-chaff was always a rare bird, much rarer 

 than the Wood-wren. 



Mr. Dale, gardener at Aikenhead, on the western boundary, 

 has heard it there, but not reo;ularlv ; and Mr. Joe Christie tells 

 me he has heard it two or three miles east of Aikenhead. 



The facts above stated call for some remarks. The record, 

 though marking a great advance in our knowledge of the dis- 

 tribution of this species in the Clyde area, is still far from 

 complete. Kintyre, Lochfyneside, the Island of Bute, and the 

 Cowal district of Argyllshire, are yet to investigate. What may at 

 first sight appear a curious fact is that when we go westwards, 

 and especially south-westwards, from Glasgow to a wooded 

 locality, we look confidently for the Chiff-chaff, and are seldom 

 disappointed. When we go eastwards from the same centre, up 

 the Clyde Yalley, we do not expect to find it. Without claiming 

 a satisfactorv knowled2;e of the distribution of some of the 

 warblers in '• Clyde," east of Glasgow, I still know sufiicient 

 regarding the summer bird-life of that region to justify the opinion 

 that it must be at least very uncommon. jNIany excursions to the 

 Clvde between Glas2;ow and Uddinsjston, to Bothwell Castle, 

 Blantyre Priory, Hamilton Palace, Cadzow, Dalzell, the orchard 

 countrv, Lanark, and Douo^lasdale. have failed to vield a sino-le 

 instance of the occurrence of this species. The gentlemen who 

 are associated with me in investi^atins: the birds of the " Clvde 

 area" have been similarlv unfortunate in their excursions eastwards 

 from Glasgow. Gray's statement above quoted (ante p. 48)y,that 



