REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 155 



our correspondent there has ever seen. The young left the 

 nest three weeks after the last egg was laid (2. viii. 22). 

 A Swallow's nest with five eggs was found at the same 

 place — of these, two were taken, two hatched, and the other 

 egg was left in the nest ; a second clutch was laid in the 

 same nest, but in this case there were only two eggs (2. 

 viii. 23). When repairing a broken nest for a second clutch, 

 a House - martin at Beith " left an open space round the 

 top of the nest instead of the usual hole at the side " 

 (2. viii. 23). Four broods of the same species were reared 

 in two nests under the eaves of a house at Duns. Great 

 Spotted Woodpeckers were, frequently heard at Duns, but 

 only one nest seen ; most of the young are said to fall 

 victims to the Sparrow-hawk. A bird of this species 

 was shot, and another seen on loth May in Inverness-shire. 

 Shags nested in the same place on the Isle of May, as 

 they have done for several years. Single Fulmars were 

 seen at Fowlsheugh this season, and to the north of St 

 Abb's on 13th June (i. 191 5, 310), but no evidence of nest- 

 ing is forthcoming as yet. 



The only notes of nesting in February are of Ravens 

 and Falcons (Peregrine) "busy nesting" at Little Ross, 

 and Rooks were seen carrying sticks for their nests near 

 Markinch, Fife. In March we have the usual records of 

 Dippers, Song-thrushes, Blackbirds, Lapwings, etc., all nest- 

 ing, the only ones requiring special notice being a Wood- 

 pigeon sitting on two eggs on 27th March, and a Hedge- 

 sparrow which had five eggs on 28th March, both records 

 coming from Corsemalzie. From the Butt of Lewis we 

 hear that Herring-gulls began to clean their nests on 7th 

 March, by which time Starlings and House-sparrows had 

 returned to the rocks there. At the same station a Shag 

 had a nest nearly built on the 22nd ; this was, however, 

 totally destroyed, and another built, the eggs being laid by 

 5th May. After the first brood left the nest it was 

 replenished, and a clutch of three eggs was laid ; these 

 hatched about 5th September, and two young Shags were 

 still in the nest on 24th October; on 31st October one 

 left the nest, on 3rd November the other was still in the 



