•24 The Vertebrates of Sol way. 



which, in winter at least, is seen in greater profusion in tlie South 

 of Scotland than any of the rest of the tribe. Ten or twelve 

 years since (say 1834 or 1832) it was by no means common, and 

 its frequency now may be accounted for by the increasing- age of 

 the plantations and by the immense quantity of wood which has 

 been lately planted and which is now advancing to maturity." So 

 wrote Sir William Jardine when he issued his " History of British 

 Birds" in 1844. Nowadays, and for many years past, Coal Tits, 

 though common enough, cannot be considered " the most abundant 

 of the tribe," they being exceeded in this respect by both the 

 Blue Tit and the Great Tit. 



The Marsh Tit {Parus palustris, L.). 



Was considered by Sir William Jardine to be not unconnnon in 

 Dumfriesshire about 1840. The reverse is the case now ; indeed, 

 until 1888 I had never seen the Marsh Tit near Dumfries. The 

 species seems to be slowly becoming more abundant since the 

 date mentioned, and a pair or two may be noted occasionally. In 

 other parts of Solway it has never been, during my experience, 

 more than very scarce and local. 



The White Wagtail {Motacilla alba, L.). 



Of late years tliis species has put in a tolerably reg-ular ap- 

 pearance during the vernal migration. It seems to have been first 

 noted here about 1880. 



The Pied Flycatcher {Muscicnpa atrkapilla, L.). 



Now breeds regularly in several places in both Annandale and 

 Nithsdale. There is a strong presumption that it is also resident 

 in summer on the Stewartry side of the Nith. The Pied Flycatcher 

 is an addition to our breeding birds, as it Avas found nesting in 

 Solway for the first time in 1882. Previous to that date there 

 was only one record for the species in Solway, so far as I know. 



The Martin {Chelidon urbka, L.). 



The House Martin has shown a lamentable diminution of num- 

 bers within the last twenty years. Scores of farmhouses where 

 it used to breed have now not a single pair attached to them. It 

 has been alleged that great numbers of this homely little bird are 

 killed on passage through France and Italy. While that is un- 



