Frof. Duns on Influence of Recent Storm on Bird Life. 63 



whom I obtained returns are all trustworthy observers. By 

 their painstaking kindness, and as the fruit of my own obser- 

 vation, I am in circumstances to lay before the Society a 

 good deal of accurate information on the subject of this 

 paper, gathered from Aberdeenshire, Argyleshire, Banffshire, 

 Berwickshire, Inverness-shire, Linlithgowshire, Midlothian, 

 Perthshire, Stirlingshire, and Wigtownshire. The topics to 

 which the attention of correspondents were directed related 

 mainly to the supply of bird-supporting berries last autumn, 

 the number of birds found dead from starvation, the species 

 which had suffered most, the condition of our winter birds of 

 passage, and the occurrence of stragglers. 



Aberdeenshire. — Mr Ferguson of Kinmundy has put at my 

 disposal some interesting notes made by him in answer to 

 my queries. He says (10th March 1879) : " (1.) The supply 

 of bird-supporting berries, such as haws, rowans, service 

 berries {Pyrus tormincdis), was not only below the average 

 last autumn, but at Kinmundy, Pitfour, and the district of 

 Buchan, Aberdeenshire, it was almost nil. (2.) Many birds 

 have died from starvation during the recent storm. Even the 

 robin has succumbed in many instances, and since the snow 

 disappeared great numbers of the skeletons of partridges 

 have been seen. (3.) Woodcocks this winter have been excep- 

 tionally few. When at Kinmundy, where, however, there is 

 not a great deal of cover, we only saw three or four. At 

 Pitfour, where there are thousands of acres of wood, they 

 were very scarce. Those obtained were not less fit for the 

 table than usual. (4.) The migi-atory birds have been later 

 than usual. Up to this date only an occasional lapwing has 

 been seen, and as there are always a few which remain with 

 us over the winter, these exceptional individuals may have 

 wintered here. The starlings are making their appearance 

 again, but I am not satisfied that they leave us at all, though 

 they are not seen in the dead of winter. (5.) In December and 

 January, when the ground was completely, to a great depth, 

 covered with snow, the wood-pigeon migrated in immense 

 flocks to the coast, where the snow covering was more partial. 

 They were seen in immense numbers, for instance, in the 

 parish of St Fergus, which lies along the coast to the north 



