REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I914 I59 



quarter away. The stack on which they nest is swept by 

 the waves during storms, and is 50 feet or more high." 



A Garden-warbler's nest at Beith had eggs of quite 

 a different colour to any our recorder has ever seen of that 

 species. When disturbed the bird slipped off the nest very 

 quietly, and ran along the ground much as a Grasshopper- 

 warbler does ; unlike that bird, however, it showed itself 

 in the open and uttered its alarm note. The eggs hatched 

 and the young got away safely. At the same place a Spotted 

 Flycatcher's nest had two dull brown eggs and one dull 

 white one ; the nest was very small. A Grey-hen and 

 a Grouse had a common nest at Newtonmore, and sat on 

 it side by side. Each had nine eggs, and the eggs were 

 mixed in the nest ; unfortunately, it was all destroyed by 

 Rooks. At /\rndilly, Craigellachie, three Partridges' nests, 

 with four and five eggs, were found after a heavy rain under 

 water and covered with mud. " When the water went 

 down and we had washed off the mud, the birds continued 

 to lay, restored the nests a bit, with the result that every 

 egg but one hatched " {Field, 1914, p. 223). 



On 28th January, Starlings were seen going into their 

 nesting holes at Craignish (Argyll), and on i8th February 

 a good many Lapwings were already paired at Saltoun. 

 On the 26th February a Dipper at Oxton (Berwickshire) 

 was building, and on 12th March this species had a nest, 

 well built, at Darvel (Ayrshire). On 6th March the first 

 Shag's nest was building at Sule Skerry, and on the 8th 

 the first record of eggs comes from Darvel, where a Song- 

 thrush had a nest and two eggs. Thereafter, many records 

 come of the nesting of the earlier breeding species, and by 

 the end of the month Rooks, Dippers, Herons, Blackbirds 

 Missel-thrushes, Thrushes, Robins, Long-eared and Tawny 

 Owls, and Lapwings all had eggs. A Magpie was build- 

 ing at Darvel, and Black Guillemots were at their nesting 

 holes on Pentland Skerries on 13th March for the first time 

 this season. Some were in complete summer plumage ; these, 

 only, sat at the nesting holes, while others were in just as 

 complete winter dress. 



In April the numbers of nesting birds of the species 



