160 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



engaged, and a few that were on the stooks were certainly 

 not consuming grain." At Cullen on 6th May a female 

 Yellow Bunting was seen gathering nesting material on 

 the lawn ; the male flew down, chased her on the wing, and 

 both came to the ground, the male holding the female by the 

 tail with his beak, and she losing her beakful of nesting 

 material. The male flew off, and she set to work to gather 

 fresh material and pick up what she had dropped ; next day 

 she was again collecting nesting material, the male waiting 

 not far off, but doing nothing to help. At Collessje (Fife), 

 on 17th February, a Tree-creeper was seen climbing a 

 telegraph pole and searching the crevices for insects there 

 was snow on the ground at the time. On 13th May, on 

 the Isle of May, a Red - backed Shrike killed a Yellow 

 Wagtail. On 8th March, at Cullen, in frost and snow, 

 Blackbirds, Thrushes, and Fieldfares were eating turnips put 

 down for sheep, while at Duns (Berwickshire) a Barn Owl 

 was seen hunting in daylight on 15th March. A Kestrel 

 swooped into a flock of Golden Plover at Cullen on 2nd 

 April, "but caught nothing"; and crops of Wood-pigeons 

 examined, at the same place, on nth January contained 

 green turnip tops, whole beans and oat grains, also unknown 

 seeds. A Golden Plover with a healed fracture of the tarsus 

 was found at Cambo (E. Fife) on 15th February (1. 1917, 1 17), 

 and near the same place on 14th and 16th February Common 

 and Black-headed Gulls were seen eating shawed turnips, 

 while on 18th February the same species were eating 

 growing turnips (1. 1917, no). A Purple Sandpiper was seen 

 at Cullen, on 10th March, picking up some minute food 

 on a wave-washed rock. The waves broke right over the 

 bird ; as each wave receded it shook itself and began at 

 once to search for food again. Only when rather a large 

 wave came did it fly to another rock. 



