1904-1905-] The A vifauna of the Solway A rea. 181 



lY.—SOME CHANGES IN THE AVIFAUNA OF THE 

 SOLWAY AREA. 



Br Mb EOBEET SERVICE, Corresponding Member. 

 (Bead Jan. 25, 1905.) 



The student of the faunal areas of Scotland finds it of interest 

 and value to take stock from time to time. Such a balance- 

 sheet will show in the course of even comparatively short 

 intervals how great, and often how unexpected, is the amount 

 of ebb or flow in the numbers of some particular bird. Such 

 changes may be merely temporary, as, for instance, in the case 

 of the garden warbler and the blackcap warbler during that 

 gloomy season of 1903 when both species were everywhere 

 with us in Solway in such numbers as had never before 

 occurred in my experience. During that year of dark and 

 dripping skies, there was a lucid interval in early June when 

 the songs of these two birds formed a charming chorus of 

 song which I am not ever likely to forget. So unaccustomed 

 were folks to such an ovitburst of music, that to this cause 

 must be attributed the strong allegations made from more 

 than one district that the nightingale himself had crossed the 

 Borders. On the present occasion, however, I do not wish to 

 do more than mention such merely temporary changes, — what 

 I am to describe are those of more permanent character. 



First and foremost stands the very serious upsetting of the 

 faunal balance caused by game-preserving. To it we have 

 to attribute the entire disappearance of our native stock of 

 the harriers, the golden eagle, and the osprey, none of which 

 is ever likely to recolonise many most suitable spots in the 

 south-west country ; while many generations of the merlin, the 

 sparrow-hawk, and the peregrine falcon, have probably been 

 entirely killed out from time to time, the vacant places being 

 filled from other areas. From some rather inexplicable cause 

 we have had for some time past a decided recrudescence of 

 the buzzard, kestrel, tawny owl, and long- eared owl. There can 

 ■be little doubt in their case of a visible increase in numbers. 

 The barn owl, one of the most interesting members of our 



