302 A WEST OF SCOTLAND GARDEN. [Suss. LXxm. 
about the glen and the waterfall and its neighbourhood. We 
thought they must have a nest near, but we failed to find it. 
In the end of May we saw the parent birds with their young 
flying about the glen near the stream ; and a few days after- 
wards we saw the young birds with their parents on the 
shore at the mouth of the stream. In August we came across 
their nests on the bank of the stream under an overhanging 
ledge of rock. 
“Next year a pair were seen in the last week of March, 
during April and in the beginning of May, in the glen near 
the waterfall. On the 13th May we found their nest on a 
ledge of rock near the waterfall and about thirty yards down 
stream from the nest of the previous year. There were three 
young birds just fledged. Alas! that night was most un- 
usually cold—7 degrees of frost—and next day the young 
birds were dead. There was no sign of foul play. The 
parent birds had disappeared, and we saw them no more that 
summer, nor the following. In April 1904 and 1905 they 
returned, and were seen also in 1905 in September, and in 
1906 in May and in August. We have found no nest since 
1902; but we have not looked for one. 
“This wagtail is the smallest of all the family, and is 
easily recognised by its blue head and yellow breast, and also 
by its size, 63 inches, as compared with pied wagtail, Motacila 
lugubris, 74 inches, and grey wagtail, I. melanope, 8 inches. 
“ Muscicapa grisola (spotted flycatcher)—The spotted 
flycatcher is one of the most interesting of our summer 
visitors, and adds much to the life of the garden and lawn. 
They appear in the beginning of June. They have nests 
somewhere about the place, as we invariably have a number 
of young birds about during summer. We have not looked 
for their nests; but in 1905 there was one in the ivy on the 
wall of Achnashie near the drawing-room window which we 
watched with much interest, specially enjoying seeing the 
parent birds feeding and training the young birds. The lawn- 
tennis court is one of their favourite places. The wire fence 
round the lawn gives a capital vantage position for the 
parent birds, and it is very amusing to see a little one perched 
on a croquet hoop with gaping mouth for the parent bird 
to give it a fly. Soon, however, the young gain strength and 
boldly dash from their perch to flycatch on their own account. 
