NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 297 



or twelve liundred feet on the hills surrounding the moorlands of 

 Ayrshire. It lives in colonies sometimes numbering twenty or 

 thirty pairs, but is often found in single pairs in small quarries 

 and abrupt river banks in retired places. We have seen their 

 occupied burrows on the summit of Mulloch Hill and elsewhere, 

 in the face of the little cuttings made by the road makers, and 

 have watched them during our intervals of rest while exploring 

 these places for Silurian fossils. In these upland haunts we have 

 never found more than one pair inhabiting a quarry. 



On the banks of the Water of Girvan, near Drumrannie, a 

 numerous colony existed some years ago. Dr Anderson carefully 

 examined upwards of a dozen of their burrows, most of which he 

 found occupied by two pairs of birds, each passage branching into 

 two about a foot from the outside. This particular bend of the 

 river was frequented by the martins regularly for years, although 

 every winter large masses of the banks were carried away by the 

 floods. A few pairs still remain, and may be seen disputing the 

 occupancy of the holes with a colony of impudent sparrows who 

 lately took possession of them before the martins arrived. 



Mr Gray has seen an albino of this species in the possession of 

 Mr John Janueson, Ardrossan. 



The Common Swift (Cypselus apus). 



Extremely abundant. Towards the close of summer very large 

 numbers congregate in the south of Wigtownshire, before finally 

 cjuitting our shores. 



Tlie numerous old castles whose ruined towers are so conspicu- 

 ous throughout Ayrshire, are all frequented by numbers of swifts, 

 and occupied as nurseries during their brief summer stay. From 

 these ancient ruins the birds take long excursions, especially in 

 dull weather, returning to their cold and eerie quarters at night- 

 fall. The eggs of this species are very difficult to procure, the 

 nest being ahnost invariably placed in holes and crevices with an 

 extremely small entrance. We have found a long tobacco pipe 

 useful for extracting them from these cracks and fissures, but even 

 with such an instrument there is always a risk of breakage, unless 



the eggs can be seen. 



CAPRIMULGIDjE. 



The Nightjar {Caprimulfjus Europceus). 



Sparingly distributed, but nowhere numerous. It is, howev^ 



U<y. 



L I a .^ A 



