"The Birds of Dumfriesshire." 27 



this latter specimen were identified for me by the late Robert 

 Service as follows: — " (1) Nine specimens of the Dipteron, 

 Anthamyia pluvialis (?), or a nearly allied species. (2) A 

 quantity of Beetle remains, all of them being Geadephagous, and 

 not less than sixteen individuals. (3) One ant, Formica curri- 

 cularia. (4) One (head only) of the beetle Carahus nemoralis. 

 (5) One specimen of Broscus cephalotes. (6) One specimen of 

 Aphodius riifescens. (7) Numerous vegetable fibres. All of 

 these could have been picked up in some woodland path at 

 the time of year the bird was shot." 



THE CUCKOO. AltKough reported as " heard at Glenmaid 

 (Kirkmahoe) on Friday, March 31st, 1911, ^ I very much 

 suspect some mistake here. Personally, I did not see this 

 spring migrant locally till April 30th. 



THE BARN OWL. I understand that this species is not con- 

 sidered uncommon near Denbie (Dalton). In August, 1911, 

 an owl (of what species is not recorded) is stated to ha\'e flown 

 against and smashed the thick glass look-out window of the cab 

 of a locomotive engine, which was travelling at express speed 

 between Kilmarnock and Carlisle.^ 



THE COMMON BUZZARD. One was seen at close quarters 

 near Capenoch (Keir) on November 5th, 1910. I saw another 

 near Chanlock (Penpont) on Nov. 8th, 1911. 



THE PEREGRINE FAI^CON nested in several of its accus- 

 tomed haunts in the spring of 1911 ; and I knew of an eyrie in 

 a new locality this year. The two eggs were, however, taken 



after they had been laid three weeks. 



THE MERLIN. In 1910 I knew of a case where the female of 

 a pair of breeding birds was shot from its nest on the ground. 

 The survivor found a mate, and the old nest of a Carrion-Crow 

 was utilised for the second matrimonial venture. In 1911 a 

 pair of Merlins bred in the old nest of a Carrion-Crow in a Scots 

 fir, some thirty or forty feet from the ground, near Kilmark 

 (Tynron). The fact that this species does not uncommonly 



8 Dumfries Courier and Herald. April 5th, 1911. 



9 Thornhill News, August 14th, 1911. 



