246 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



sinner, is common. We know of a colony of Jackdaws, of which 

 some members have rather curious nests in spruce firs. These 

 nests, very large and deep, are built of sticks externally, and most of 

 them have a flat roof, with an entrance hole in the roof just wide 

 enough to admit the bird. The *Raven is now rare, but we are 

 glad to say it is not yet entirely banished, as there is at least one 

 nest each year in the west of the county. The *Carrio]s; Crow 

 and the *Hooded Crow are both scarce, but a few pairs nest, and 

 sometimes the two species interbreed ; not an uncommon occurrence 

 in the Clyde area. The *Rook is abundant. 



Alaudid.e. 



The *Skvlark is one of our commonest species, particularly in 

 spring and summer on the grassy uplands. 



Cypselid.e, 



The *SwiFT is fairly common, arriving in the last days of April 

 or first in May. 



Capri MULGiD.'E. 



The *NiGHTjAR is scarce, but it nests each year in several 

 districts. 



PiCIDyE. 



A Great Spotted Woodpecker vras obtained at Ard^owan in 

 October 186S, and another at Castlehead, near Paisley, in 1889. 

 Drillings and borings of this species were noticed in sallows at 

 Merrylee and Williamwood, Cathcart, in the spring of 19 14, but 

 the bird itself was not recognised. 



[Near Uarnley Rifle-range, in June 1904, a nest containing 

 seven eggs wvas found in a decayed fir. We identified the ec"s as 

 Wrynecks', an identification confirmed by Dr Harvie-Brown with 

 regard to two of them which passed through his hands and are now 

 in the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh {Annals of Scot. Nat. 

 Hist., 1905, p. 264). The publication of the present list in view, 

 these two eggs have been carefully compared anew with authentic 

 specimens of those of the Wryneck and the Lesser Spotted Wood- 

 pecker ; and "that they are undoubtedly those of the Lesser Spotted 

 Woodpecker " is the conclusion now reached by the editors of this 

 journal. Consequently the record quoted above is incorrect, and 

 ought to refer to this species instead of to the Wryneck. At the 

 same time we should mention that, though we have absolute con- 



