164 The Scottish Naturalist. 



aster ; and a very small percentage are successfully reared by the old 

 birds. These birds seem to be free from being molested by man, and 

 I do not know a case of one being shot, which is most exceptional 

 among our wild pigeons. These facts have been gathered from 

 observations of a number of years. 



I shall conclude by giving the result of this year's inquiry up to the 

 time of writing. Examined two rivulets in April, found one nest in 

 formation in the second week, and one nest in the third week, with 

 two eggs. I was attracted by seeing feathers, and found that the bird 

 must have had a narrow escape, as it had been attacked, and got off 

 with the loss of several small and a few wing or tail feathers. I took 

 home, and still have the eggs, which were not touched. In the last 

 week of April I visited the nest first found, roused the bird, and found 

 two eggs. On the other stream I found another nest with two eggs- 

 In the beginning of the last week of May I again visited the first nest, 

 and found young fully fledged. They flew cut of the nest, and I 

 captured one with a struggle. The day was extremely cold, and I 

 returned the shivering bird to its nest, exhausted by wet and cold. 

 In a week I visited another nest, found it empty, the eggs having been 

 somehow destroyed. There was the appearance of another nest, in 

 which a fortnight later there was one egg. On my return ten days 

 later there was still only the one egg. The bird had been a few times 

 disturbed, and had left the nest. I afterwards found another nest, 

 this time on a birch shrub or small tree. The nest where a brood 

 had been successfully reared had again been appropriated, and con- 

 tained a young bird and an egg. The old bird whipped the egg out 

 of the nest ; it fell to the ground, and was destroyed. It contained 

 what seemed to be a young one, which had partly formed, and then 

 putrified. I returned in a week, and found nothing in the nest, some 

 disaster having occurred. In the nest on the bush were two young 

 ones. Thus, out of five attempts, only one terminated successfully, 

 showing similar results to previous observations, although not carried 

 out in the same regular way. I may mention that I had a communica- 

 tion from the late R. Gray, Esq., who saw the note about these pigeons 

 in the Scot. Nat., and wished a specimen for examination. I have 

 arranged with G. Sim, A.L.S., Aberdeen, to examine a full-grown bird 

 when one can be got, to ascertain with which of the recognised forms 

 they agree. The birds, as far as I know, have never been examined ; 

 and in calling them " rock pigeon " (Columba Livid), I have used the 

 local name, and not authenticated that they correspond with the sea- 

 side form. Whatever their structure may be, they are unquestionably 

 of scientific interest, and differ, at least in some respects, as regards 



