The Scottish Naturalist. 345 



ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE REPORT OF THE ORNITHOLOGY OF 

 THE EAST OF SCOTLAND FROM FIFE TO ABERDEENSHIRE, 

 INCLUSIVE, (1885). 



By Colonel H. M. Drummoxd Hay, C.M.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 



[Note. The numbers given correspond with those in the Original Report, to 

 admit ot entry in the interleaved copies under their several heads. 

 The prefixture of an asterisk denotes the repetition of the number, in 

 the case of new species not previously mentioned.] 



2 Song Thrush With regard to the " migration of this bird 

 in Perthshire, except in very mild winters," there are 

 sometimes exceptions in solitary individuals remaining, at 

 least in the Carse of Gowrie district, in cold winters pro- 

 bably wounded birds. An instance occurred in the present 

 year, 1888, one having been noticed on the 4th of Janu- 

 ary after very severe frost on the marshy banks of the Tay 

 at Elcho, and other instances have also occurred ; but, as 

 a rule, as already stated, the bird is absent in winter, re- 

 turning in early spring. Perhaps it does not move to any 

 very great distance, it may be only to the sea coast ; and 

 this appears more probable, as during one spring, recently, 

 soon after their arrival in considerable numbers, on very 

 severe weather setting in, with a heavy fall of snow, all 

 suddenly disappeared, for a time, till the return of milder 

 weather. 



8. Wheatear A curious variety (of a uniform pale colour) of 

 this species, a female, was shot in Rannoch in the month 

 of August, 1886, and is now in the Perthshire Museum. 

 It was one of a pair in similar plumage, which were seen 

 during the whole summer; though the nest was not found, 

 they in all probability bred there. As the specimen differs 

 somewhat from the ordinary type, not only in colour but 

 in size, it seems to deserve description, which is as follows : 

 Total length 5^ inches ; from carpel joint to tip of wing|3f ; 

 length of tarsus \\\ bill rather slender, and shorter than 

 in the type ; legs same length as in type, but seem longer 

 in proportion to the bird ; both bill and legs of a uniform 

 light wood or hazel brown ; head and neck light sand- 

 colour ; auriculars, and space between the eye and bill 

 yellowish-brown, with a whitish streak over the eye; throat 



