NATURE NOTES. 265 
in breaking off and carrying away twigs from beech-trees, 
They appear to catch hold of the twig and jerk and twist 
it till it breaks. 
What is the explanation of the habit sometimes shown 
by rooks of assembling in autumn about their nests and 
apparently making preparations to commence building ? 
SyDnEY E. Brock. 
Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) IN West LorHran, 
THoucH one of the best-known summer visitors to this 
country, the Cuckoo is never found in the district imme- 
diately to the west of Kirkliston. This is especially strange, 
as the country seems well suited to its habits. It would be 
interesting to know the reason for the bird’s absence from 
this locality. Sypney E. Brock. 
THE WILD Ducks oF THE SOLWAY, 
DurinG the period from 30th January 1887 to 9th October 
1893 I made an exhaustive collection of notes on the 
ornithology of the district around the town of Kirkeudbright. 
From these I cull the following in connection with the 
distribution of the wild ducks. While JT speak of the 
Solway I ought to say that the area under my notice is 
really the estuary of the Dee, and may be delimited by a 
radius of ten miles from Kirkcudbright. 
The Sheld-Duck (Zadorna cornuta) is common along the 
shores of Kirkcudbright Bay, where it breeds, The young 
birds, attended by their parents, are commonly seen on 
the estuary in the summer months. 
The Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) is rarely met with. I 
remember seeing one which had been shot inland near 
Kirkeudbright in March 1893. 
