RENFREWSHIRE EXCURSIONS. 35 



brilliant bird " appears suddenly in spring, like a flower that has 

 bloomed before the bud was noticed," and is rather rare in the 

 district, being most conspicuous on its arrival in April. In 

 proximity to the house (which was built about 1830) are gardens 

 which have been laid out in most princely fashion, involving 

 enormous expense. Viewed from the public rooms they had 

 a very striking appearance, and attention naturally fixed on a 

 number of yew thickets in oblong squares, the top branches of 

 which had a burned or blighted appearance. This was attributed 

 to the roosting there of vast numbers of starlings during autumn 

 and winter, and measures had had to be taken to put a stop to the 

 evil. The starlings, taking the hint, had shifted their quarters to 

 the planting before mentioned, and there were still some numbers 

 of this species roosting at the time of our visit, where a month 

 earlier there were to be seen nightly thousands congregating from 

 all directions, and making night hideous with their screeching. 

 Owing to the continued drought with low temperature few plants 

 were noted, the list including the leopard's-bane (Doronicum 

 Pardaliaiiches), primrose, cowslip, purple willow {Salix purpurea), 

 and goat-willow (S. Capred). There are no trees remarkable for 

 size in the estate, the largest seen being a great maple overlooking 

 one of the artificial ponds. The ascent of Barrhill was made. 

 On this, the highest point in the neighbourhood, are the remains 

 of a Danish camp, and from a round tower on the same eminence 

 a splendid view of the surrounding country was obtained. The 

 common moth, Diurna fagella, was the only entomological 

 capture. 



The parish of Kilbarchan has the distinction of possessing in 

 the estate of Craigends (John C. Cunninghame, Esq.) one of the 

 most remarkable yew trees in Scotland. Fine photographs of this 

 tree were exhibited at one of the meetings of the Society. It 

 grows north of the mansion house and close to the Gryfe Water. 

 Careful measurements taken on the 2nd of November, 1889, give 

 the following results :— 



Spread, eastern extremity of branches to tree, - - 41ft. 6 in. 



Diameter of trunk in same line, 8 ,, 4 ,, 



Spread from tree to western extremity of branches, - 32,, o ,, 



Si ft. 10 in. 



