Transactions. 75 



cock {Scolopax Riisticola) is commou as a winter visitor, and, I 

 have reason to believe, not infrequent as a nesting species. Last 

 summer, for instance, a pair took up their quarters in a small 

 plantation on the Glencairu side of the hill-ridge separating Glen- 

 cairn from Tyiiron. The cry of the birds Avas often heard on still 

 nights, and the locality being a suitable nesting one, I have not 

 a doubt the birds remained to breed. Sportsmen speak of the 

 woodcock as " a hard- winged bird," and anyone who is familiar 

 with it can recognise it at once by the rattle of its Avings on taking 

 to flight. Another peculiarity is the eyes, which arc remarkably 

 large and fine, hence Butler in his " Hudibi'as " speaks of men 

 " findiflg woodcocks by their eyes." In marshy tracts throughout 

 the parish the Common Snipe {Scolopax Gallitiago) occurs plenti- 

 fully. The Jack Snipe {Scolopax Gallinula), a much smaller and 

 scarcer bird than the preceding, is somewhat rare. I am disposed 

 to think it remains to nestle, but cannot speak positively as to 

 this. It has been seen about the commencement of August, and, 

 if not a nesting species, August seems a late month to leave and 

 an early one to return. The Land-Rail (C^<?a- iVa/(?«j/>) maybe 

 considered common. The Moor Hen {Gallinula Chloropus) in- 

 habits all our streams. The Coot {Fiilica Aira) is not uncommon 

 on lochs outside the parish boundaries. Inside the parish it is 

 rather a rare bird. Both the Wild Duck {Anas Boschas) and Teal 

 {Anas Crecca) are fairly commou. The Widgeon {Anas Penelope) 

 occurs as a winter visitor. I am told that some few birds remain 

 throughout the breeding season, but I have been unable to 

 authenticate this. Single specimens of the Golden Eye {Fuligula 

 Clangula) and the Goosander {Mcrgus Merganser) have been shot 

 within recent years on the Cairn, and the stuffed specimens are 

 preserved in the gun-room at Crawfordton House. Another 

 species of duck, said to be rare, was shot by Mr William 

 Davidson, gamekeeper on Crawfordton, near to Snade Mill some 

 three years ago. The Little Grebe or Dabchick {Podiceps Minor) 

 was seen by me on the Cairn during the winter of 1885, and I 

 have since found it nesting on one of the smallest of the lochs in 

 the parish. It is by far the most interesting of the water birds 

 with which I am acquainted, and if proprietors would only instruct 

 their keepers to preserve, I am disposed to think it might 

 become much more common than it presently is. The Common 

 Cormorant {Phalacrocorax Carbo) is a regular visitor to Loch 

 Urr, and has even been seen within a few hundi'ed yards of 



