THE BIRDS OF RENFREWSHIRE 247 



fidence in our informant's statement, the eggs were not seen by us 

 in situ, a fact which greatly impairs the value of the record.] 



ALCEDINIDyE. 

 The ^Kingfisher is well known on our streams. 



CORACIID.E. 



A Roller, obtained in Greenock Harbour on 27th June 1847, 

 is in the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh. Another was shot at 

 Crookston in i868. A Bee-eater was observed in August 1869, 

 in the company of Swallows, on the Black Cart at ^^^^.lkinshaw 

 (Gray), and another example occurred at Paisley Moss about 1872 

 (Paisley MS. List). 



Upupid.^. 



A Hoopoe was shot near Port-Glasgow in 1863 (Gray). 



CUCULID.E. 



The *Cucis.oo is well distributed, especially in the upland 

 districts. Most Cuckoos' eggs that wc have seen were in nests of 

 the Meadow-pipit, but we have also seen nests of the Sedge-warbler, 

 Pied Wagtail, Greenfinch, and Reed-bunting used. 



Strigid.e. 



A few pairs of the *Barn-owl nest all over the county, and 

 its numbers seem to be slightly on the increase. The *Long-eared 

 Owl and the *TaWx\y Owl are found in fair numbers as breeding 

 species, while the Short-eared Owl is known only as a winter visitor 

 to the moorlands. Two specimens of the Snowy Owl were shot 

 in December 1863 ; one at Pollokshields, the other at Port-Glasgow; 

 and of the American Hawk-owl, one in November 1868 and a 

 second in December 1871 were obtained at Greenock (Gray). 



Falcon iD.E. 



An example of the Hen - harrier was shot at Blythswood 

 (Paisley MS. List), and one was seen at the Glen Moss, Kilmacolm, 

 some years ago. Dr Johnstone Macfie writes to us : "On 7th April 

 1906, I had the great pleasure of seeing a Hen-harrier and the 

 so-called Ring-tail flying over the heather and the rocks here 

 (Inverkip). They did not seem to be hunting in the usual way, 



