156 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



eggs in all stages of incubation, two nests contained young 

 birds, five had six eggs, seven had five, one had four and one 

 three eggs. The nests were very large structures of heath 

 sticks lined with wool, grass, paper, etc. On 8th May a 

 Woodcock's nest with five very large eggs was found in 

 Castle Woods, Lauder, and yet other nesting places of the 

 Dunlin were found in the neighbourhood of Lauder, proof 

 that the species is increasing in the district. On the 13th 

 young Ringed Plover were "cheeping in the shell" near 

 Dunoon, and two broods of Stonechats flying strongly were 

 seen next day at Loch Elrig, Mochrum. On the 21st 

 a Willow-warbler at Dunoon was pulling material off an old 

 nest in a hawthorn-bush to build its own nest in a bank near 

 at hand, and at Lauder Manse, Spotted Flycatchers nested in 

 half cocoanuts fixed to the trees there for the purpose. A 

 nest found at Cathcart contained four Mallard's and four 

 Pheasant's eggs, all fresh and the nest in good order, while 

 a few feet away was a Mallard's nest with one egg. A 

 Ringed Plover's nest " on and made entirely of dried 

 sea-weed " was found on 30th May at the Cromarty Firth, 

 while two nests of Water-rails are recorded from Possil 

 Marsh during this month (2. viii. 62). Records of nesting 

 continue throughout June, but the notes mostly refer to 

 feeding young ; a Cuckoo's egg was found in a Tree-pipit's 

 nest at Darvel, on the 3rd, the first time our correspon- 

 dent there has found the egg in a nest of this species. 

 As the month advances notes come of nests of Great 

 Crested Grebes, Little Grebes, Wood-warblers, etc. 



The Cormorant colony in Castle Loch, Mochrum, was 

 visited on 21st June ; there were " many young, some able to 

 leave the nest and swim off at our approach, others half 

 grown, and some newly hatched, while there were still a 

 good many incubated sets, and several nests contained one 

 to five fresh eggs. Among the food lying about the island, 

 we saw trout to | lb., eels to nearly 2 lb., a good many pike 

 to about 1 1 lb., one or two small perch, flounders, codlings, 

 and other young sea-fish." The Herring-gulls had well- 

 grown young as well as some newly hatched, while one 

 or two nests contained eggs. " On the island were heaps of 



