154 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



of feathers, but the interior was warmly felted with wool 

 (i. 1916, 239). Two Missel-thrushes spent the summer at 

 Barra Head, where they are believed to have bred. A 

 Blackbird's nest at Beith had three broods successfully 

 reared in it in 1916, while a Stonechat's nest is recorded from 

 Invergowrie (Forfar), the first our correspondent has found 

 there. A most curious clutch of Redbreast's eggs were 

 found in Lanfine Woods (Ayrshire) in June ; they were much 

 larger and rounder than the ordinary type, and all three eggs 

 were alike. The House-martins at Beith, which in 191 5 left 

 an open space round the top of their nest, arrived this year 

 and built up the open space : " probably they were the same 

 birds, there were no young ones in the nest till the first week 

 in Jul)-." A Lapwing hatched out a brood only 4^- yards 

 from the nearest rail of the Ardrossan line at Williamwood, 

 Cathcart (1. 1917, 6). A pair of Gadwall were seen several 

 times this summer at one of the reservoirs in South-west 

 Midlothian ; they are believed to have bred in the locality, 

 though the nest was not found (1. 1916, 289). Goldeneye are 

 again recorded from Soulseat Loch, and large numbers of 

 Black Scoter in Largo Bay all summer. Merganser bred 

 on Loch Lubnaig (Perthshire), and a nesting colony of 

 Stock-doves was located at Kirkmichael in June. In early 

 July, two Woodcocks' nests, one with three, the other with 

 four eggs, were found practically touching one another. The 

 females were sitting together, but being unfortunately 

 disturbed by foresters, they forsook. The ground colour of 

 the eggs of one brood was pale bluish grey, of the other olive 

 brown ; these nests were found near Lauder. The mortality 

 among young Kittiwakes and other cliff birds was very small 

 this year on the Isle of May in comparison to what it is 

 some seasons. On 3rd June a Redbreast, a young Starling, 

 two adult Gannets, a Manx Shearwater, several Kittiwakes, 

 and a great many Razorbills and Guillemots were found dead 

 in Largo Bay, three or four of the Guillemots were in full 

 winter plumage, while in mid-July Eider, covered with oil, 

 were seen (dead and alive) on the shore at Dirleton. 



The earliest record we have for 1916 comes from Largo, 

 Fife, where Rooks were seen breaking off twigs for their 



