The Scottish Naturalist. 349 



wards, notice was received of their arrival in Scotland, 

 extending from Berwick to Shetland. They showed them- 

 selves in covies of twenty or thirty birds, or in smaller 

 numbers, in every county within the Union. The first 

 notice I had from Perthshire, was of a small troop of three 

 birds seen near the head of Loch Rannoch on the 29th of 

 May ; one of these, a fine male in beautiful plumage, was 

 shot, and was sent by Sir Robert Menzies to the Perthshire 

 Society's Museum, in which it has now been placed. 

 Another was shot shortly afterwards in Strathtay near Castle 

 Menzies, and about the same time, a female was picked 

 up dead in Strathearn on the railway near Abercairny, 

 killed by the telegraph wires, a fate which it is to be 

 lamented has happened, in a very great number of instances 

 throughout the whole country. By the beginning of June 

 large parties had visited Fife : and it is satisfactory to know, as 

 I learn from the proprietors on Tents Muir, that numbers 

 have settled down there, and are nesting, and are being 

 strictly watched. It is to be hoped that young broods 

 may be reared, though from observations made in other 

 parts of the country it is to be feared lest owing to the 

 unsettled weather and heavy rains, the eggs may be addled, 

 or the young birds, if hatched, may be drowned, t This 

 bird being allied to the Pigeon, and associated with the 

 "Columbse," in the classification adopted by recent authors, 



t Note. Since the above was written, it is with much pleasure I have to 

 state, from information received from Mr* Alex. Speedie, yr. of Kin- 

 shaldy, on Tents-muir, that from the number of birds on the ground 

 at present, there is every reason to believe that the breeding has 

 been successful ; in confirmation of which, I may mention that in 

 cutting a field of rye on the above-mentioned property, about the 

 18th of last month (August, 188S), five young birds were captured. 

 These were strong, well-grown, and full-plumaged birds, with the 

 1 exception of the pointed tail feathers not yet matured. A pair were 

 sent alive to the Zoological Gardens in London, which they reached 

 in safety ; the remainder were kept for some time in captivity, but 

 were found to be so impatient of confinement that they were again 

 restored to liberty. Much interest now arises as to whether these birds 

 will become sedentary, and remain with us during the winter or not. 

 Reports to this effect from the various breeding districts in the 

 . eastern counties will be anxiously looked for next spring. 



H. M. D. IT. 



