220 RARE BIRDS IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 



have been more than seven feet; and, to shew that the statement is altogether 

 incorrect, I need only refer to such works as the late Dr. Macgillivray's 

 "Manual of British Birds/' where the extent of wings in the male is men- 

 tioned as being about six feet, while the same part in the female is about 

 six feet, eight inches. Had the dimensions given by Mr. Taylor been correct, 

 this bird would have far exceeded the gigantic Condor, which, according to 

 the best authorities, has a spread of about ten feet, and would just have 

 equalled the Albatross! 



Pied Flycatcher, (Muscicapa atricapilla.) — As my statement with regard to 

 this bird (Vol. II., page 239,) has been called in question, I may mention, 

 for the satisfaction of the readers of this magazine, that I have been enabled, 

 through the kindness of Mr, Mitchell, to re-examine the specimen, which is in 

 his collection, and, by the aid of Yarrell's ^'British Birds," have had no 

 difficulty in confirming the statement already made, that it is a veritable 

 example of the Pied Flycatcher, the 31. luctuosa of Gould, Selby, etc., and the 

 M. atricapilla of Bewick, Fleming, and Macgillivray. The description given 

 by Mr. Yarrell of a male killed in the spring, agrees with Mr. Mitchell's 

 specimen in every respect, with the exception of the under parts, which are 

 dull white, tinged with pale brown. It would be sufficient to state that this 

 specimen was pronounced by the late Dr. Macgillivray to be the species which 

 I have mentioned. This little bird may probably have been more than once 

 overlooked, from its general resemblance to our more common species, the 

 Spotted Flycatcher, (M. grisola,) with which it has been observed to associate. 

 The only similarity which I am able to detect between the Pied Flycatcher 

 and the one with which Mr. Taylor supposes, (for, since the appearance of my 

 first notice, he has not examined the specimen,) that I confounded it, namely, 

 the Black-cap, (Curruca atricapilla,^ is, that the specific name is the same 

 ifi both. 



Starling, (Sturnus vulgaris.) — From the statement with regard to the occur- 

 rence of this bird in our county, one would be led to suppose that the Starling 

 is a rare visitor in AbarJeenshire. This, however, is not the case. At certain 

 seasons of the year it is very common in the neighbourhood of this city, where 

 it frequently congregates in large numbers, especially about the pools in the 

 links of Old Aberdeen; and Mr. Mitchell mentions to me, that on more than 

 one occasion, he has observed immense flocks near the same locality. It breeds 

 in great numbers in various parts of our county, choosing, sometimes, (as at 

 Keith Hall, the seat of the Earl of Kintore,) high trees in which it excavates 

 a deep hole, from which it is very difficult to obtain the eggs in safety; and 

 sometimes taking up its residence in the ivy-clothed sides of some of the 

 buildings in Old Aberdeen. 



Aberdeen, July, 1853. 



