112 The Scottish Naturalist. 



the same sort of ground among whins and brush on the hill-sides. 

 The Whin Chat, however, is perhaps the more frequently seen of 

 the two, as he often descends to the lower grounds, where he 

 nests. This applies, however, only to the interior, for on the low- 

 lying districts at the mouth of the Tay, wherever suitable ground 

 occurs, both species may be found the whole summer through. 

 In the autumn both species frequent the fields, especially among 

 peas and beans ; but these I have generally noticed to be young 

 birds. The Whin-Chat is strictly migratory, while the Stone-Chat 

 occasionally remains the winter, moving further south should the 

 weather be severe : in England it is quite sedentary. 



41. Erythracus RUBECULA, MacGill. (Robin.) 



The Robin, which is spread over the whole district, is in some 

 seasons much more abundant than in others, probably from ac- 

 cessions it receives from the Continent, where it is migratory. 



42. RuTiciLLA PHCENicuRA, Bouap. (Redstart.) 



Though nowhere very common, it is to be found in many parts 

 of the district : in the Highlands, however, I have not noticed it 

 much further north than Pitlochrie. It seems to be rather local 

 in its habits, preferring certain spots to others, in which it is 

 always to be found more or less every year. 



43. Accentor modularis, Bechst. (Hedge-Sparrow^) 



Common throughout the district, and, like the Robin and the 

 Wren, braving our severest winters. 



44. Sylvia cinerea. Lath. (Whitethroat.) 



This, with the exception of the Willow- Wren, is of all our 

 w^arblers the most abundant, at least in the lower part of the dis- 

 trict, and Mr Brooke assures me that about Dunkeld it is very 

 common, but I have no record of how much higher it extends : 

 I have not noticed it myself in the higher parts of the district. 

 Its congener, the Lesser Whitethroat {Sylvia cnrruca, Lath.), I 

 have never seen in the district, but Sir Thomas Moncreiffe in- 

 forms me that last year he noticed a pair of birds building at 

 Moncreiffe, which, unfortunately, deserted their nest when nearly 

 completed. These, from their general appearance and the form 

 of the nest, he fully believed to be of this species, but could not 

 be certain. These birds having occasionally been observed in 

 Scotland, tends mu<;h in favour of their being found at Mon- 



