382 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



season until the year of the Tay Bridge storm (28th December, 

 1879), when all the trees on the Heron Hill were blown down. 

 Since then only two pairs have built at Fullarton, in Scots Firs, 

 distant about 200 yards from one another, and they were at their 

 nests this spring. ^ There are no nests at Dumfries House (Cum- 

 nock), Barskimming, Loudon Castle, and Kennox (Stewarton), in 

 spite of reports to the contrary, nor have I any definite old 

 records from these places ; but at Lanfine about twenty years 

 ago there was one nest in a very tall thick Spruce Fir in a 

 wood, ^ and many years ago there was also one at Caprington on 

 the top of a high Fir tree. ^ In the Galston, Loudon, and Kil- 

 marnock districts I have definite information that there are now 

 no nests. There used to be a Heronry in the parish of Craigie, 

 but thorough inquiry kindly made on the spot on my behalf by 

 Mr. George Rose, of the Glenfield Ramblers' Society, has failed to 

 find the exact locality or any recollections of a Heronry in the 

 parish. This "lost" Heronry has a remarkable reputation in 

 ornithological literature, being mentioned (1) in Montagu's 

 Ornithological Dictionary of British Birds (1831, 2nd ed.), 

 where the editor, James Rennie, says — "I am acquainted 

 with a small one in the parish of Craigie, near Kilmar- 

 nock, in Ayrshire, the only one, save that near Ullswater, 

 which I have visited " (p. 257) ; (2) in an editorial footnote 

 to an edition of Goldsmith's Animated JVature (1848),* 

 as an example of an extreme rarity in Scotland ; (3) in the late 

 Rev. F. O. Morris's History of British Birds (1870, 2nd ed.);^ 

 and (4) in Mr. Harting's "British Heronries," in the Zoologist 

 (1872).^ I much doubt if it was in existence within the last 

 thirty years. Rennie is the only one of the above authors who 

 shows personal knowledge of it, and it must be taken ofi" the 

 record now in any case. An old Heronry at Monkcastle House 

 (Kilwinning) is mentioned both by Morris ^ and Mr. Harting, ^ 

 the latter stating that it was a fine one in 1832, and that 



1 Mr. M. Arthur, m lit., 14th March, 1899. 



2 Mr. D. Hastings, in lit. to Mr. G. Rose, 27th December, 1898. 

 ' Mr R. Kitchin, in lit. to Mr. G. Rose, 25th January, 1899. 



* Supplementary Note A. , Vol. II., p. 178. 

 6 Vol. IV., P. 124. « P. 3267. 



