DISAPPEARANCE OF THE CHOUGH. 119 



but happily he escaped with trifling injuries, although 

 all the eggs, with one exception, were smashed. 

 The egg saved was subsequently given to me, and 

 formed a i3ortion of my collection till a few months 

 since. This nest was, I believe, the last one made 

 in the county, for the pair of birds that owned it 

 were shot before they built another. 



From the information I have gathered, it appears 

 the Choughs were much less frequent at the Heughs 

 of Rerrick, Muncraig, and Ravenshall than on the 

 Colvend part of the shore-line. One or two pairs 

 bred in or about the famous caves of Barlocco. The 

 proprietor, Mr. McCartney, tells me he never suc- 

 ceeded in taking young birds when a lad, although 

 he had often attempted it — the nests being generally 

 in the most inaccessible spots. This must have been 

 considerably over half-a-century since. The birds 

 lingered here until the winter of 1869-70. Mr. Gibson, 

 Inspector of Poor, Auchencairn, tells me that one • 

 day during that winter season he was shooting along- 

 shore. Going into the White Cave* a flock of per- 

 haps a score of birds, which he at the moment took 

 to be Jackdaws, flew out x^ast him. Just as they 

 were going out through the entrance Mr. Gibson 

 turned and tired at them, bringing one bird down» 

 which, to his great sui'x^rise, proved to be a Chough. 

 Whether any or all of the others were also Choughs 

 is, of course, matter for conjecture only — 



"What's hit is history; 

 What's missed is mystery"! 



but the bird that was secured was the last taken or 

 seen thereabouts. At Muncraig Heughs there were 

 several nesting sites in former times, one at least 

 being occupied up till 1863, when the birds were shot. 

 My information from the Ravenshall district is 

 mostly of the negative sort. Mr. Whitney, lately 

 game tenant of Knockbrex and Muncraig, writes 

 that in about fifteen years' (say from 1868) experience 



* Dimensions: Length, 252 feet; greatest width, 190 feet; 

 height, 60 feet. 



