156 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



and Puffins all nesting or with young, and Whinchats were 

 very numerous. Terns were late in arriving in Mull, only a 

 few scattered eggs being found as late as 7th July. Great 

 Spotted Woodpeckers were reported in Methven Castle 

 woods on the same date, as were Jays and Redstarts. About 

 six pairs of Fulmars were breeding on the Caithness coast, 

 north of Berriedale and south of Wick, on 6th July ; on 

 the 17th Little Grebes near Largo had hatched a second 

 brood, and "the big young one of the first brood goes about 

 with the small youngsters of the second hatching." As the 

 month goes on, young of Corn-buntings, Coots, Black 

 Guillemots, Mallard, and Cuckoos are noted from various 

 localities. On 27th a Goldfinch was seen on Kinnoull Hill, 

 and next day Swifts were found nesting in the " spouts " of 

 Lochnagar, 3700 feet above sea-level. In the earlier days 

 of August there still come notes of young birds with their 

 parents : a Mallard with ducklings was seen on the Lake of 

 Menteith on the 8th, Merganser on Loch Ard on the 9th, 

 while on the 12th young Mallard (fully feathered), Goosander 

 and Merganser (still in down), were going down the flooded 

 river at Aberfoyle (1. 1917, 292). After this there are only 

 records of belated nests, such as that of a Dipper on 6th 

 September on the River Cairn, Dumfriesshire (1. 1918, 21), 

 a Partridge's nest at Dumfries in the first week of September, 

 four young House-martins in a nest at Eyemouth on 20th 

 September these left the nest on the 27th and a Wood- 

 pigeon's nest with two eggs on 30th September. 



Winter. 



The winter of 1916-17 showed no remarkable features 

 of bird-life, the winter visitors were present in their ordinary 

 numbers in spite of the severe weather, and we have no 

 records of great mortality anywhere. There were fewer 

 birds at Corrour than for many years, " no doubt owing 

 to the continual snow-storms since the beginning of December 

 1916." Redshanks, Dunlin, and six Tree-sparrows were 

 among the birds which spent the winter on the Isle of 

 May, where on nth February 1917, Guillemots, Cormorants, 

 and Gannets were found coated with oil. Two Hawfinches, 



