126 WASTE GROUND AND SUBURBAN BIRD-LIFE. 



which I was disposed to regard as an exceptional occurrence. 

 Between that time and the date of the second series of notes, how- 

 ever, I had again seen the kingfisher about the Mall's Mire Burn 

 and the ditches and clay holes in that vicinity five times. The 

 occurrences were all between October and December : once in 

 the first-mentioned, twice in November, and thrice in December, 

 and not invariably in severe weather. 



Columbid/e. — The ringdove {Columba palumbus), which comes 

 to the fields under green crops near the city boundary, may some- 

 times be seen passing overhead within our limits. 



Phasianidte. — In an October morning I have seen a cock- 

 pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) at the Polmadie clay holes. This 

 bird is common just beyond our south-eastern limits. 



RallidjE. — The land rail (Crex pratensis) is well known in the 

 fields skirting the boundary of the city in the locality just men- 

 tioned. 



CharadriidjE. — The golden plover (Charadrius pluvialis) 

 comes within our limits about Polmadie, where the lapwing 

 ( Vanellus vulgaris) is better known. Continued severe weather, 

 as in the present winter (1892-93), drives these birds from our 

 neighbourhood, but after a few days of open weather they quickly 

 reappear. 



Scolopacid.e. — For about six months of the year (October till 

 March) I can rely on flushing the common snipe (Gallinago 

 coilestis) in the ditches about Polmadie. As a recent writer in 

 Black and White has remarked, it is surprising how close this 

 bird comes to populous neighbourhoods. Its appearance in our 

 district is neither irregular nor uncertain. 



In the same vicinity as the last the common sandpiper (Totanus 

 hypoleucus) always appears on its arrival in spring. The ground 

 hereabouts is quite congenial to their tastes and they usually show 

 a disposition to remain, but the patrol to which the locality is 

 subjected in the bird-nesting season undeceives them and they 

 soon seek other quarters. The common redshank (Totantts 

 calidris) occurs here also as a winter visitor, but sparingly. 



Larid/E. — The black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus) is a well- 

 known species around Glasgow, and about Polmadie it abounds 

 at the clay holes, where, even after prolonged frost, a few are con- 

 stantly to be seen. One interesting feature about this gull is the 



