348 Woodcocks breeding in Ross-shire. 



bird very common in the Highland woods, and which begins 

 generally after sunset, the time that I have observed the 

 woodcocks to commence flying about: but as this anomalous 

 sound is heard only as the breeze rises or falls, it is only heard 

 by a good ear. The cry of the woodcocks as they fly about, 

 does not seem to me to be like whistling, but, as I observed, 

 like the cry of the young redbreast, but sharper, and in two 

 notes. 



Your learned and excellent correspondent Mr. E. Blyth, says 

 in No. 8, p. 439, that he is ready to concur with Mr. Fairholme 

 in the opinion that this increase in the number of woodcocks 

 that now breed in Britain, is owing to the number that are 

 annually wounded by sportsmen, and cannot remove at the 

 usual season, and so, — as they seem to suppose, — meet toge- 

 ther, male and female, and are content to remain and breed 

 in our climate. 



This is all very plausible and ingenious, and may partly be 

 true. But why did not the woodcocks do so long ago ? And 

 moreover, it seems that the Jieldfare has likewise become a 

 native. Have they also begun to breed by wounded birds ? 



Mr. Fairholme is so kind as to correct a mistake that he 

 thinks I have fallen into, by saying "without reservation," 

 that no minnows or pike were to be found to the north of 

 Perth, but plenty of sticklebacks : and no pike in those streams 

 that fall into the west sea, or in the lakes from which they 

 flow. I by no means think these circumstances very asto- 

 nishing. I believe that the minnows were introduced into 

 the river Don, as I know they were into the Ness a few years 

 ago, for the purpose of bait ; — but I still hold myself correct. 

 The whole subject is curious, but I cannot now enter into it, 

 nor encroach much longer on your indulgence. Only allow 

 me to observe that there has been more than time for any one 

 of the multitude of sportsmen and naturalists who are con- 

 stantly perambulating the western Highlands, to have denied 

 the statement, and yet no one of them has given Mr. F. any 

 reason to think that he has been right in objecting to there 

 being no pike in the western rivers. 



As to continuing to write anonymously, I have little more 

 to add to what you allowed me to say in No. 8, pp. 144 and 

 145 ; and it will very much depend on whether or not my too 

 irregular and unlearned communications are considered wor- 

 thy of insertion. — W. L. 



[As the foregoing communication from W. L. relates to an article in a 

 former volume, we have given it insertion ; but we must in future adhere 

 to the principle mentioned on our wrapper in preceding numbers, respect- 

 ing anonymous Communications. — Ed.'] 



