270 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



females, no male having been noticed yet. The *Black Grouse 

 is found all over the uplands, sparingly in the west, but becom- 

 ing more numerous towards the south-east. The *Red Grouse 

 is common ; on Duchal Moor the bag for a season has reached 

 750 brace. In 1913 and again in 1914, Mackeith found a Red 

 Grouse, before she commenced to sit, concealing her eggs in the 

 same way as the Grey Hen and the Partridge do. 



Phasianid^. 



The *Pheasant and *Partridge are both common, though 

 dairy-farming has tended to reduce the number of the latter in some 

 districts. That Partridge in miniature, the *Quail, is almost 

 unknown, but in 1903 a nest with nine eggs was taken in a hayfield 

 on Faulds farm, near Kilmacolm. It has occurred at Eaglesham 

 and Nether Pollok, a single bird in each instance. " Occasionally 

 near Paisley " (Paisley MS. List). 



RALLID/E. 



In most seasons the *Corn-crake is common, but in 1905, so 

 seldom was the bird heard, that a frequent query of the country people 

 was, " What has come over the Corn-crake this year ? " Though 

 it gradually recovered in numbers in succeeding years it is question- 

 able if these reached the level obtaining before 1905. Last season 

 (1914) again there seemed to be a shortage as compared with the 

 previous year, but it was not nearly so noticeable as in 1905, 

 Arriving from 19th April onwards, it has been heard calling till 

 6th August. Gray, without naming any locality, records the 

 Spotted Crake, a single bird, for Renfrewshire. The rare 

 Baillon's Crake has also been obtained. One, killed in May 

 1893, by striking the telegraph wires near Lochwinnoch, was sent to 

 Mr John Craig, Beith. The *Water-rail is well distributed in 

 winter, but seldom noticed in summer owing to the agility with 

 which it skulks through the longer herbage. It probably nests in 

 most suitable situations, and in one of them we have found three 

 nests in little more than half an hour. The *Water-hen is 

 abundant, while the *CooT is common on most of the larger sheets 

 of water. 



CHARADRHD/E. 



The first in order of this large family, popularly known as the 

 " Waders," is the Dotterel, a very rare straggler to Renfrewshire. 

 One was obtained on Castle-Semple Estate in the eighties (Mr 



