NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 103 



met with its eggs taken in the county, but my information 

 scarcely leaves a doubt of the fact.* 



Order in., SCANSORES. Fam. ii., CUCULIDAE. 



CUCKOO. 



CUCULUS CANORUS, Linnaeus. 



This is a very abundant species. Its eggs, however, do not seem 

 to be recognised by the natives, though they are aware of the fact 

 that it lays in the nest of the Titlark (Anthus pratensis). Often 

 several Cuckoos may be seen chasing one another along the burn- 

 sides, or crossing the open, and coming quite close to the houses. 

 A Titlark used regularly to feed a young full-fledged Cuckoo on 

 a wall close to Inchnadamph Inn in 1869, whilst I was there. 

 Eegularly as June came in, I have noticed the treble-syllabled 

 note of the Cuckoo, hearing it as early as two o'clock in the 

 morning, and once at night, when it was quite dark — a cloudy, 

 windy night. 



Order iv., COLVMBAE. Fam. l, COLUMBIDAE. 



WOOD PIGEON. 



COLUMBA PALUMBUS, Unnaeus. 



The Wood Pigeon is plentiful, like other sylvan species, at 

 Rosehall, between that and Bonar Bridge, and in the east 

 generally. In 1834, Mr Selby observed it as far north as Tongue, 

 where it breeds in the " plantations and birch-woods about the 

 base of Ben Laoghal," but he adds, that " a few pairs only were 

 seen during our excursion." Now, it is more plentiful at Tongue, 

 but in the west only occasional pairs are seen at rare intervals, 

 spying out, no doubt, the nakedness of the land. In the spring 

 of 1869 one pair frequented a small patch of birch-wood close to 

 Loch Assynt, and I observed them feeding in the fields around 

 for a few days, but they soon took their departure, probably to 

 return to the better wooded slopes of the Kyle at Rosehall. 



* Since the above was written, I have been informed by Mr T. Mackenzie 

 of a nest taken near Dornoch, which came into his possession in the spring 

 of 1874. 



