280 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. ix. 



THE BIRDS OF RENFREWSHIRE. 



To the Editors oi British Birds. 



Sirs, — Referring to the remarks (antca, pp. 214-15) on our paper 

 published in the Scottish Naturalist (1915, pp. 124-7. 244-50, 268-75), 

 we must point out that no Willow-Tit is mentioned by us. The 

 Scottish form of the Marsh-Tit is included as a Renfrewshire bird. 

 Thanks to the influence of British Birds, a local form of ^larsh-Tit is 

 now recognized in Scotland, though IMacgillivray, when writing his 

 , great work, k)ng ago unconsciously described some of its distinguishing 

 features. But that this form is more closely related to the WiUow-Tits 

 than to the typical Marsh-Tit has, in our opinion, yet to be proved. 



As to Gray's record for a second Renfrew example of the American 

 Hawk-Owl (Greenock, December, 1871) we are not aware that this 

 has been discredited. While we have, gieat doubt that any American 

 Hawk-Owl has been a genuine unassisted visitor to the British Isles 

 (it is significant that none has been taken in Ireland) we must accept 

 Gray's records, unless these can he shown to be erroneous, so long 

 as the bird remains on the British list. 



T. Thornton Mackeith. 



JoPTN Robertson. 



BURNDALE, KiLMACOLM, 



1th February, 1910. 



[In their paper Messrs. Mackeith and Rol)ertson refer to the bird (on 

 pages 126-7) which we call the British Willow-Tit (Parus atricapilhis 

 kleinschmidti) as a Scottish form of Marsh-Tit. We do not, however, 

 see any justification for tliis, as the same bird lives in England side 

 by side with the Britisli Marsh-Tit (Parus palnstris drcsscri), while a 

 very nearly related form of our Willow-Tit {P. atricn frill us rhenanw) 

 lives in Holland, Belgium and France, side by side witli a very nearly 

 related form of our Mursh-Tit (/-•. palustris lom/irostris). This leing so, 

 these Willow-Tits caimot ol)\ iously be forms of the Marsh-Tit. 



With regard to the Hawk-Owl, in Dresser's Birds of Europe in the 

 article on the American Hawk-Owl (Vol. V., pp. 310-11), the writer 

 states that Mr. R. Gray has written to him to say that the Greenock 

 bird cannot now l)e traced (this is the 1868 specimen). " I\Ir. Boyd, 

 however, has still some hope of being able to find him [i.e. the owner] 

 out. He tells me that another specimen of the Hawk-Owl was taken 

 in the flesh to the same shop a few months ago and that he saw and 

 examined it. It was in very poor condition and as it had been loft b\- 

 a sailor, it was concluded (hat he had caught it on board some ship." 

 This is evidently the 1871 bird : and we may add that Mr. J. Henderson 

 was informed by a friend of his in Glasgow that about this time a 

 bird was offered to him for sale by a sailor from a timber \essel who 

 stated that it had flown on board in the St. Lawrence. Evidence as 

 to its capture in Scotland appears to be entirely lacking and the record 

 has been ignored, rightly we think, by Saunders and otliers subse- 

 quently. Perhaps Messrs. Mackeith luid Roliertson lia\r some further 

 information about this l)ird. whicli would rpnio\o tlio doubt \^ liich 

 must at present exist regarding its authenticity :is :\ Mritisli tnkrn 

 example. — Eds.1 



