NOTES 243 



wild raspberries in Merrylee wood, wholly within the southern 

 municipal boundary of Glasgow, flushed "a bird with a long bill," 

 which left a young one behind. Two days later some of the same 

 children along with my elder boy, aged eleven, were again in 

 the wood, and, searching for the young bird, found it dead 

 unfortunately, probably from rough handling received on the first 

 day. Reporting the incident to me, my boy had no doubt that 

 the bird was a young Woodcock {Scolopax rusticula). However, 

 to put the matter beyond dispute he returned to the spot, and 

 brought home the corpse of what was undoubtedly a Woodcock 

 ten or twelve days old. John Robertson, Glasgow. 



Woodcock carrying its Young. Despite the reiterated 

 evidence of many practised observers, there are others of experience 

 in woodcraft who doubt, and even deny, the possibility of a 

 Woodcock carrying its young. I never had an opportunity of 

 witnessing the performance until the present summer. One fine 

 evening in June I flushed a pair of Woodcocks in a green ride 

 near my house. One of them flew away through the wood; 

 the other was carrying something under her body, apparently 

 between her extended legs, which I do not doubt was a young 

 one. She flew with it about 50 yards and lighted in thick under- 

 growth. It was a clear, bright evening, but in the subdued 

 light of the glade I could neither discern the exact position 

 of the legs nor swear to the nature of their burden. It was, 

 however, close to the posterior end of the bird, and the bill played 

 no part in the carriage. 



The close time provided for Woodcocks under the Wild 

 Birds Protection Acts by the County Councils of Dumfriesshire, 

 Kirkcudbright, and Wigtownshire, extends from 2nd February till 

 30th September inclusive, and has had a marked effect in increasing 

 the numbers bred in this district. A Woodcock's nest was formerly 

 of rare occurrence in our woods ; now the nests are numerous. 

 We used to kill more Woodcocks at Monreith in February, 

 March, and April than in the winter months, believing that the 

 birds were collecting on the coast for migration northwards; 

 whereas, in fact, they were arriving in order to breed here. When 

 I was a schoolboy I used to look forward to the Easter holidays 

 as the best time for Woodcock shooting. We know, and do, better 

 now. Herbert Maxwell, Monreith. 



Nesting of the Barn Owl. On a south wall close to the 

 back door of my house a cote for Pigeons is fixed about 9 feet 

 above the ground. The Pigeons, White Nuns, poor things, have 

 all disappeared, save one, owing, I am afraid, to rigorous stinting 



