Birds op Glencairn. 155 



that Dr Martin referred to his observations on the Night Jar 

 in his own vicinity'. By way of criticism, he would like to 

 say that, while Dr Martin mentioned that the Crossbill did not 

 breed in Britain, that was an error, because it had bred in the 

 district within his own recollection, as far back as the time when 

 he was a very small boy, in Dalswinton, wh^re it was found for 

 many years breeding. At present there was a pretty large flock 

 in Ilensol woods, where they bred. They also bred at Sham- 

 bellie, in the large woods there. The Crossbill, however, bred so 

 unusually early in the year that most people in looking for them 

 breeding in February and March like other birds, only found the 

 young fledglings of the Crossbill already out and in full flight. Dr 

 Martin also said that he had seen numbers of the Reed Warbler. 

 He could not quite understand to what particular bird he was 

 referring, because, as a matter of fact, the Reed Warbler was one 

 of the rarest stragglers in Scotland. Even in the southern part 

 of Cumberland it was also rare. Dr Martin mentioned a theory 

 that the elaborately constructed nests were made for the purpose 

 of resisting electrical influences. He (Mr Service) was afraid that 

 that theory was just a little fanciful. Another criticism he would 

 like to make was, that Dr Martin had employed a rather ancient and 

 antiquated classification. Matters of classification and nomenclature 

 were rather beside the question, because, so long as they had the 

 facts, these thiiigs were quite subsidiary. At the same time he 

 thought the paper was of real value, and they could not have too 

 many of the kind, the observation of birds being one of the most 

 fascinating- pursuits in the wide domain of natural history. The 

 most charming of English classics was founded upon the observa- 

 tion of birds, i.e., " White's Natural History of Selbourne." If 

 they had every parish in the three counties worked out in the 

 same way as Glencairn had been, it would be possible then to 

 have a complete history of the fauna of the Solway. 



The Chairman having conveyed the thanks of the meeting to 

 the contributor, 



Dr Martin, in replying, said he was glad such an authority 

 as Mr Service thought Glencairn had been properly worked. He 

 was sorry that the classification was not quite up-to-date, but he 

 thought Pennant's classification was very good. However, it 

 could be easily altered for publication. It was generally accepted 

 that Crossbills did not nest in this country, and, not having found 



