238 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



scholar in the Old Free Church School still standing between 

 Portmahomack and Balnalruach, a pair of Starlings, the first seen 

 in the district, arrived at the school and built there. Many years 

 ago the late Mr Bisset, an observant farmer in central Aberdeen- 

 shire, described to me the surprise with which he had observed 

 the arrival in his stackyard at Ardtannes, Inverurie, of a "most 

 curious bird," the Starling, between the years 1845 and 1S48. This 

 was the first example of the bird seen by him, and was stated by 

 him to have been the first seen in the district a record which 

 falls in line with the general information regarding the "Dee" 

 area, collected by the late Mr George Sim. James Ritchie, 

 Royal Scottish Museum. 



Carrion Crow in North Uist. During August and September, 

 this bird (Corvus corone), which I understand to be a rarity in 

 these parts, has been evident in some numbers. On 3rd August 

 and 8th September two examples (the latter immature) were killed 

 as vermin, and both of these are now in my possession. During 

 the whole of the period, which I mentioned above, a flock of eight 

 birds was repeatedly observed. Thus, unless the Carrion Crow has 

 been recorded since the publication of Mr Harvie-Brown's avi- 

 fauna, these must stand as almost unique examples for the Outer 

 Hebrides. F. S. Beveridge, Vallay, North Uist. 



Young Goatsucker at Durris. Kincardineshire. On 



Saturday, 22nd August, a young Goatsucker {Caprimnlgus europcens) 

 was shot at the base of Cairnmovearn under the impression that it 

 was a hawk. The buffish spots on tail and wings, the softness of 

 the feathers, etc., showed its age, but it was fully grown, and 

 measured 10 ins. in length. The wings were 7 ins. each and the 

 spread 16 ins. The serrations on the middle claw were distinctly 

 seen. Its crop contained a mass of fragments of legs, wings, and 

 antenna? of moths and other insects, with two entire burying-beetles. 

 The record may be of some importance as indicating the date of 

 nesting. The bird is fairly common in "Dee." A. Macdonald, 

 Crossroad School, Durris. 



Great Spotted Woodpecker in Dumfriesshire. On 



Sunday last (12th July) my keeper saw a specimen of the Great 

 Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major) here. This is the first 

 anyone has seen hereabouts that I have heard of. N. E. Douglas- 

 Menzies, Newtonairds, Dumfries. 



[Mr Gladstone, in his work on the Vertebrates of Dumfries- 

 shire (19 1 2) describes this species as rare and very local as a 

 resident, and an irregular early winter visitor. Eds.] 



