Transactions. 7 
Solway, and the English hills, and the song of several larks over- 
head, no one who has any love of nature can fail to be enchanted. 
The Yellow Hammer is not uncommon. The Chafinch, which 
builds such a neat nest, comes next, in point of numbers, to the 
Meadow Pipit. After reading White’s “ Natural History of 
Selborne,” in which he states that the male and female Chaftinchs 
separate during winter into different flocks, I noted those in our 
district, and found that at least nine out of ten were males. 
Two nests of this bird were observed in the end of April last, 
quite ready for eggs. They were frequently examined, and set 
down in the end as forsaken nests. On June 9th, however, they 
were found to contain four eggs each, quite fresh in one, almost 
quite fresh in the other. The change in the weather must 
account for this, April being mild, while May was remarkably 
cold throughout. The House Sparrow is abundant. The Green- 
Jinch is not very common. The Goldfinch is very rare, and known 
only once to nest. The Lesser Redpoll and Linnet are met with 
in considerable flocks during winter. A few pairs remain to 
breed, and the number of Redpolls which do so has increased con- 
siderably during the last two years. The Bullfinch is not 
uncommon. <A few pairs of Starlings nest regularly, besides those 
that are accommodated in boxes, put up for the purpose. The 
Carrion Crow, which is not a favourite, is common. Unlike the 
rook, it gathers the sticks to make its nest from the ground, 
using “ heather birns” exclusively, lining with a plentiful supply 
of wool. It destroys great numbers of eggs, chiefly those of the 
_ Red Grouse, and also occasionally attacks weakly lambs. A few 
years ago I found a lamb with both eyes and its tongue picked 
out and still alive. There are several rookeries in the parish, 
chiefly in the valley of the Shinnell, but in some of them the 
Rooks are very much persecuted. In the end of April, 1884, a 
pair commenced to build their nest at Auchenhessnane ; probably 
they were banished from a rookery for misbehaviour. They 
were allowed to rear their young, and this year there were ten 
or twelve nests. It is very interesting to watch them during the 
nesting season. I never saw a Rook take a stick for its nest 
from the ground. They invariably break them from the trees, not 
even condescending to pick up those that they accidentally drop. 
The greater part of the twigs were taken from larches, which had 
several dead branches, and were consequently easily broken, but 
occasionally they went to ashes and birches. They showed a 
