NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 127 



The same may be said of the Common Buzzard. The smaller 

 Kaptores still hold their ground fairly, and the Owls are, if anything, 

 increasing.* 



Among the smaller birds, I should say that, from what I can hear, 

 all, with the exception of the Goldfinch, are increasing, both residents 

 and migrants. This of course is accounted for by the greater extent 

 of cultivated land, and also the great number of plantations springing 

 up on every side, which must greatly increase the food supply, 

 and may ultimately affect the climate itself. Hard winters, such as 

 that of 1878-1879, have a great effect on the soft-billed birds; in 

 he spring of 1879 I never saw a Missel Thrush at Balnacoil, and 

 scarcely a Gray Wagtail; even the hard-billed birds were much 

 scarcer, and there was not one Willow Wren for four of the year 

 before ; the hardy little Wren, too, suffered greatly, and all the sum- 

 mer visitants were much scarcer. I much regret that I was not in 

 the county in the spring of 1880, as I should like to have seen if 

 the exceptionally mild weather then prevailing brought the usual 

 numbers of birds back to their old breeding haunts. 



Many birds that are residents spread out into the inland woods 

 during the breeding season and retire more to the coast for the 

 winter, as the food supply soon dies out when the hard weather sets 

 in : most of the Thrushes, Blackbirds, and even the Chaffinches 

 certainly do so, while only a certain number remain about the 

 houses and farm-steadings. Other birds, again, appear more 

 numerous, such as the Bullfinch, and Long-tailed and Cole Tits, these, 

 however, no doubt receiving large additions from abroad. Besides, 

 being birds of rather retiring habits in the nesting season, they are 

 more easily noticed when the leaves are off the trees. 



Amongst the Corvidae the Rook and Jackdaw appear to be on 

 the increase; the Raven and "Hoodie" Crow are still fairly numerous, 

 especially the latter, despite every effort to exterminate it ; the Mag- 

 pie is very rare now. 



When we come to the family of Grouse we find the eastern part 



* For some time back I have been collecting statistics of the various kinds of 

 " Vermin " killed, both in Sutherland, and in Scotland generally. These lists, 

 going back in many instances to a pretty early date, are most instructive to 

 the student of Geographical Distribution, as regards certain species ; and at 

 some future time I hope to give some account of these records. To any one 

 willing to assist me it will give me pleasure to forward the necessary printed 

 forms for filling up, and such lists I especially desire to receive from large 

 Highland Estates.— J. A. H.-B. 



