394 TRA!?SACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



convinced that there ^vas a mistake here as to the numbers, and 

 this opinion is confirmed by a letter from Mr. Jas. Cameron, 

 dated 28th April, 1899, in which he says that this year he can 

 count 21 nests, but he does not think more than 14 or 15 of 

 them are occupied. -"^ Most of the nests are in Beech trees, 

 which predominate. The birds used to build further away 

 from the town in the same wood (Craigdhu), but a few 

 years ago a great many trees were blown over with their nests, 

 and they shifted to the present place facing the pier. The 

 Larch plantation at I;Och Shira was thinned two years ago, and 

 the Herons entirely left it. Mr. Cameron does not think there 

 is any appreciable increase in their numbers for the last few 

 years. Mr. Gideon Scott (^?^. lit. to Mr. A. Ross, 6th May, 1899) 

 remembers about twelve years ago a Heronry in a small clump of 

 Scots Firs, which grow at the end of a Spruce plantation, 

 opposite the Salmon Fishery at Inveraray, but no Herons 

 build there now ; and he is also informed that twenty-five 

 years ago there was a Heronry in Spruce Firs near Collievraat 

 Loch, in the Deer Forest. The birds all left at one time, and on 

 the trees being cut down a short time afterwards, every one was 

 found to be " dosened" or " corkit," i.e., decayed at the heart. 

 On 8th and 9th June, 1899, I saw several of the Craigdhu 

 Herons, and observed that they were feeding their nestlings. 

 Mr. John Paterson saw two young ones in one nest. Kilmory 

 (Lochgilphead) possessed a well-known Heronry, long frequented, 

 and remarkable as being situated in trees within a hundred 

 yards of the mansion-house,^ but a few years ago a good 

 portion of the timber was cut down, and the birds, 

 beins: thus disturbed, seem not to have nested there since. ^ 

 It is difficult to believe that they have entirely quitted 

 this very suitable district, but the only other Heronry there 

 which I have a note of, is in " Argyll " area, at the landward 

 end of Loch Swen. * Near the head of Glen Saddell is a small 



^ 19 nests with young and 8 old nests, according to Mr. G. Scott, in lit., 

 6tli May, 1899, to Mr. A. Ross. 



' C. A. Johns: British Bird^ (1888), p. 408; and H. D. Grabair 

 Birds of lona and Mull, p. 230. 



3 Mr F. Grey, in. lit. to Mr D. Dewar, 27th October, 1897. 



* Zoologist (1882), p. 284. 



