34 Field Meetings. 



nests placed on vai-ious points inaccessible to all but those pos. 

 sessecl of strong nerves and strong muscles. The Jackdaws have 

 become extremely numerous there, and we are afraid have now 

 dnven from this part of the Stewartry coast the last stragglers 

 of that interesting bird the Chough. This bird is probably a fast- 

 decreasing species in every part of Britain which it yet occupies, 

 and it is the prevailing opinion that the Jackdaw, though a 

 member of the same family, is in some way inimical to it. In 

 these clrffs, living in close proximity and apparently in harmonious 

 friendship, were the households of Owls and Kestrels. The 

 crevices at the bottom were evidently in some instances occupied 

 by the Shieldrake (or Stockan'tiet, as it is locally termed). We 

 have every reason to believe that these beautiful ducks ai"e 

 increasing in number, thanks to the benignant clauses of the 

 Wild Fowl Protection Act. A good many pairs were seen during 

 the afternoon. The breeding place once occupied by the Cor. 

 morants, and still known as the " Cormorants' Roost " or 

 " Doucker's Bing," has been deserted by these birds for many 

 years, and is now tenanted by the Common Gulls (Larus canus) 

 in large numbers. UntU lately a number of the Herring Gulls 

 (L. argentatus) also bred here ; but they have shifted their 

 habitation to other quarters nearer Douglas Hall. At the latter 

 place we observed several Rock Doves, and one of the party had 

 the good fortune to see a pair of Peregrine Falcons. Under the 

 experienced guidance of Mr Fraser, the botanists secured speci- 

 mens of most of the peculiar plants of the shore, but it was just 

 early enough to find them in good condition. The scarce plants 

 to be found betwixt Rockcliffe and Douglas Hall have been so 

 often enumerated that it would be superfluous to give a list now. 

 We may, however, state on the authority of Mr Matthewson that 

 the Royal Fern is still found in Colvend, but to prevent its 

 threatened extinction we will not divulge the exact locality. A 

 goodly number of MoUusca were picked up dui-ing the walk, 

 amongst which were the following, viz. : — Mya truncata, M. 

 arenaria, Solen ensis, Tellina solidula, Mactra solida, Ai-temis 

 exoleta, Cyprina islandica, Cardium edule, C. echinatum, Mytilus 

 edulis, Pecten opercularis, P. varius, Ostrea edulis, Pattella vul- 

 gata, Littorina littoralis, L. littorea, L. rudis, L. neritoides, 

 Turritella communis. Purpura lapillus, Nassa reticulata, and 

 Buccinum undatum. All the members of the party having 

 reassembled at Douglas Hall, leave was taken of Mr Fraser, 



