244 The Scottish Naturalist. 



may be accessions from the Continent, from whence they are 

 known to visit many parts of this country every season. 



60. ScHCENicoLA ARUNDiNACEA, Bonap. (Reed-Bunting.) 



The Reed-Bunting — or, as it is more commonly known in the 

 district, the Coal-Head or Coaly — is resident with us throughout 

 the year, but chiefly confines itself to the lower parts, especially 

 about the Carse of Gowrie and lower Strathearn, where it was 

 once much more numerous than it is at present ; for, like the 

 Corn-Bunting, it has suffered greatly from drainage, and the 

 filling in of the ditches in the fields and roadsides, where for- 

 merly the male bird in spring might continually be seen, con- 

 spicuous in his jet-black cap and snow-white collar. Though 

 now, however, much reduced, it is still to be found in consider- 

 able numbers among the great reed-brakes in the tidal parts of 

 the river, where the passer- by, attracted by its somewhat feeble 

 and monotonous chirp, may frequently notice a small group of 

 them among the tall reeds, clinging to the pensile tufts with which 

 they are surmounted, and busily extracting the seeds, and so 

 occupied in the employment as to allow of his close approach, 

 until, becoming alarmed, they fly off and take up a position a 

 little further on. 



61. Plectrophanes nivalis, Meyer. (Snow-Bunting.) 



As far as my observations have gone, over a long extent of 

 years, the Snow-Bunting I have invariably considered to be a 

 winter visitant only, and not a resident, found more or less 

 throughout the district according to the state of the weather, 

 being in severe winters more frequent. On the coast-line, at 

 the mouth of the Tay, in the months of October and November, 

 I have seen these birds, in certain winds, arriving flock after 

 flock. None of these, however, remain- there, but, after settling 

 for a short while, move on further inland. Quoting Mr Horn, in 

 a paper of his on the birds of the north-west of Perthshire, pub- 

 lished in the 'Proceedings of the Natural Society of vGlasgow,' 

 " The Snow-Bunting breeds on most of the high mountains in 

 this district, especially Ben Lawers and Schiehallion." I am 

 sorry to say I have never had the good fortune of seeing the 

 Snow-Bunting in the breeding-dress on either of these, or any 

 other mountain in Perthshire, though both these mountains and 

 many others have been frequently traversed and thoroughly 

 investigated by me, in the search for botanical specimens during 



