The Scottish Naturalist. 297 



OKNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 



A FRIEND of mine who notes the passing events in the Ornithological world 

 informs me he has for some years past resided from early summer to the verge 

 of winter in Kirriemuir. 



Every summer he speaks of the skylarks singing merrily while seated on the 

 , walls or palings. He indicates that they perch upon these places and sing ; 

 and this the more when the sun is hid or the weather dull or cloudy ; but he 

 tells me that they will be found so engaged almost any day, and not one only, 

 but many at a time. Now I often see and hear larks singing on the ground, 

 especially in spring, but in my neighbourhood I never yet discovered a lark 

 singing while sitting on a wall or a paling. Of course, I speak only of what 

 I have seen in my own neighbourhood ; and as my friend is confident that his 

 observations are correct, I am inclined to believe that larks may behave differ- 

 ently in different localities. 



Last week he rehearsed this story. While strolling in a wood outside Kirrie- 

 muir, he came suddenly upon a Song Thrush seated on a nest, and was within 

 three yards of the bird before it made any attempt to leave its post of duty. 

 On approaching the nest he looked into the cavity, and was astonished to find, 

 not the eggs of a mavis, but those of a blackbird. This seemed somewhat remark- 

 able to him, and he investigated further, noting particularly the composition 

 of the edifice. Both nest and eggs were those of the Blackbird. Of this he 

 was certain, while he was equally confident that the bird sitling on the nest 

 was a Song Thrush. 



Is this not rather singular ? Perhaps some of your correspondents may have 

 observed such an occurrence, in which case I trust they will record the fact in 

 your next. -Personally the facts are new to me. 



Arbroath, 22d May, 1888. A. Nicol Simpson. 



[May not this have been a case of a blackbird and a thrush mating together ? 

 Such an occurrence has been observed and recorded on various occasions. 

 Ed., Scot. Nat.] 



Pallas' Sand GrpUSe {Syrrhaptes paradoxus), These strange visi- 

 tors were seen lately in the parish of Fyvie, and were at first supposed to be 

 some variety of plover. They were dispersed in groups from single individuals 

 up to large flocks ; their identity was proved on the 26th May, when two males 

 and four females were shot out of a flock of about 50 on the Waggle Hill, 

 Monquhitter. The males measured 16^ inches in length and weighed ioi oz. 

 The females were 14 inches in length and weighed 10 oz. In the ovaries 

 the eggs were well developed and seemed within a few days of maturity. 

 Some had their feathers slightly worn, but others were splendid specimens. 

 They were in good condition, as the contents of their stomachs showed ; as 

 one contained 370 seeds of barley and thousands of seeds of clover. The 

 others had upwards of 300 seeds of barley, oats, clover, and festuca in their 

 stomachs. Their flight was rapid, not unlike the golden plover ; and they 

 uttered some harsh, disagreeable notes when surprised. 



Gourdas, Fyvie, June 4. George Sim. 



[During the month of May there occurred an immigration into the British 

 Isles of Pallas Sand Grouse on a very extensive scale. They have been re- 

 corded from numerous localities along the east coast of England, the earliest 

 date at which they were observed being 14th May. We have seen records of 

 their occurrence in Scotland from Cruden, in Aberdeenshire (where one was 

 killed by a boy with a stone froma flock on May 17th), from the vicinity of Nairn, 

 Peterhead, Fort George, Tyrie, Fyvie, and Monquhitter (see Mr. Sim's note) ; 

 but doubtless they have been met with in many parts of Scotland. Informa- 

 tion of any kind with regard to this migration, which must have included 

 thousands of individuals, will be welcome. It is probable that some of the 

 birds may nest in suitable localities, and that they may succeed in rearing their 

 young. The absence of fear of man shown by them in some of the places 

 where they they came under observation was said to be very remarkable. 



Ed., Scot. Nat.] 



