1898-99. | Our Common Migrants. 19 
The following table will show the dates of a few of our 
migratory birds for the past seven years :— 
Dates OF ARRIVAL OF Migratory Birps, 1892-98. 
Name or Birv.| 1892. | 1893. 1894. 1895. 1896. 1897. | 1898. 
Wheatear . | April 9 | April 20 | Mar. 28 | Mar. 30} Mar. 19 | April 1 | Mar. 27 
Whinchat ( 18 | May 1) April 6} April 21} May 3 22 | April 19 
Willow-Wren . 18 | April 15 15 15 | April 23 21 20 
Swallow . 3) 22 18 14 13 11 18 10 
Cuckoo . f 27 | 26 | 15 25 16 26 | May 1 
Redstart . : 26 18 12 22 16 | May 2 | April 30 
Whitethroat . | May 12 26 | May 5 28|May 4 1| May 6 
Wood-Wren . 8 | 30 | April 20 20 11 | April 30 2 
Blackcap . 19 | 23 | May 18 | May 51 April 25 | May 19 20 
Flycatcher. | 14 | May 16 5 | 4|May 23 22 | 17 
Although within the last few days it seems as if we were 
just at the beginning of winter, yet the signs of the return of 
spring have not been awanting. The missel-thrush from the 
top of some tall tree has been the first to give voice, and the 
mavis and the blackbird in the mild mornings have already 
been trying their forgotten melodies. It will not be long before 
we are able at say, “The winter is past, . . . the flowers ap- 
pear in the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come.” 
[With the aid of the beautiful slides belonging to the 
Society for the Protection of Birds, the lecturer then gave a 
short account of each species, as it was shown on the screen. 
The following remarks were made in exhibiting the picture of 
the great spotted woodpecker. | 
In the January number of the ‘Annals of Scottish Natural 
History’ there is a detailed account of the appearance of the 
great spotted woodpecker in the south-east of Scotland. 
Although breeding and resident in the Midlands and south 
of England, this bird is very rare in Scotland. It has been 
known to nest in Duns Castle woods, where it is protected. 
At irregular intervals it visits our shores in considerable 
numbers, as has recently been the case; but the appearance 
of the bird is generally the signal for its slaughter. Were it 
unmolested on these occasions, there is no doubt this fine bird 
