no THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



exception of thousands of Little Auks in Yell Sound on 29th 

 January no large numbers are noted. A Lesser Black- 

 backed Gull is recorded from Darvel on 5th January, and 

 a good many Swans are reported from various parts of the 

 country. 



The winter of 1919-20 was more eventful. Winter migrants 

 were plentiful in Central Perthshire, Bramblings especially 

 so (i. 1920, 57); Northern Bullfinches visited Shetland, Red- 

 wings and Fieldfares were very numerous about Elgin, and 

 Duck and Oystercatchers were unusually plentiful round the 

 shores of Fife. Jack Snipe were more plentiful at Vallay, 

 North Uist, than our correspondent there has ever known 

 before, while Woodcock were extraordinarily numerous 

 locally. A considerable number of Swans are recorded and 

 many Little Auks at Fair Isle on the last day of the year. 

 Redwings and Fieldfares were few at Bathgate, and there 

 was a general scarcity of Snipe throughout the country. 

 The heavy snowfall and severe frost in mid-November had 

 a good deal of effect on our bird-life ; many Duck were seen 

 in the estuaries and Wader were driven down to the shore, 

 while Black-headed Gulls were so much affected by the 

 intense frost that numbers of them were incapable of taking 

 flight. This early and severe storm was the only really hard 

 weather experienced during the winter. 



Ringing. 



In two interesting papers on the recovery of marked 

 birds by Mr Witherby, British Birds (mag.), vol. xiii., pp. 125 

 and 241, the following Scottish records are given. A Starling 

 ringed at Torrance, Stirlingshire, as a nestling on 22nd May 

 1918 was recovered at Stockport, Cheshire, on 13th September 

 1919. Two Cormorants ringed at Castle Loch, Mochrum, as 

 nestlings on 14th June 1919 were recovered, one near Annan, 

 Dumfriesshire, on 24th September 1919, the other on Lough 

 Neagh, Ireland, in December 1919; birds of the same species 

 ringed on the Summer Isles, Ross, as young birds on 25th 

 July 1919 were reported in Inverness-shire on 20th November 

 1919, Loch Linnhe in December, and west coast of Ross-shire 

 22nd December 19 19; two young Shags ringed at the same 



