REVIEWS. 225 



parish " ; and the increase in the Starling population is 

 notorious. The Jay seems to be re-established in many- 

 places as a breeding-species ; the Magpie is picking up ; and 

 the Jackdaw has undoubtedly increased " in the last fifteen 

 years " ; while of the Rook a substantial increase is reported. 

 The Great Spotted Woodpecker is re-established as a breeding- 

 species. Of the Barn-Owl it is sad to read that few are left, 

 and it is hardly a compensation to be told that the Long-eared 

 Owl is "on the increase," particularly when the next sentence 

 contains a quotation from Sir W. Jardine to the effect that 

 that species " is certainly the most common next to the White 

 Owl," and that was in 1839 ! The Hen-Harrier, formerly a 

 common resident, is now but a very rare visitor ; the Sparrow- 

 Hawk is decreasing ; the Peregrine Falcon has had its breeding- 

 quarters woefully curtailed in the interests of game-preserva- 

 tion while the Kestrel is increasing. Grey Lag-Geese now take 

 the place of Bean and Pink-footed, which formerly predomi- 

 nated ; Barnacle liave decreased since 1899, and the Whooper 

 is declining — ^Bewick's Swan predominating in recent years. 

 Sheld-Duck are increasing annually, and the Tufted Duck 

 has extended greatly as a breeding-species since 1890. The 

 Stock-Dove in now a well recognised nesting-species. The 

 Pheasant has gone up in numbers enormously, and Mr. 

 Gladstone connects the decrease in the numbers of Black 

 Grouse since 1870 with this phenomenon, as he also does the 

 starving out of the Partridge, though the diminution of cropping 

 in the upper districts has been an influence in the latter case. 

 Ptarmigan, common till the beginning of last century, have 

 been long extinct, but have been re-introduced recently. 

 The Moor-hen has increased considerably, but the Coot is 

 believed to be decreasing locally. It is only of late years that 

 the Woodcock has become so plentiful as a breeding-species 

 in Dumfriesshire. Ringed Plovers and Oyster- catchers are 

 becoming more common as nesting-species on rivers inland. 

 The Redshank since 1880 has become common in the nesting- 

 season inland. The Black-headed Gull has undoubtedly 

 increased. The Great Crested Grebe has become a nesting- 

 species, and the Little Grebe is quite common in summer 

 no^v, though formerly chiefly, if not exclusively, a winter- 

 visitor. Such are some of the changes recorded, and they 

 form a remarkable catalogue. 



One turns with curiosity to the accounts of certain species 

 regarding the occurrence and distribution of which, in 

 Scotland, there seems to be some uncertainty. Here Mr. 

 Gladstone, from lack of full personal knowledge, is not in- 



