Prof. Duns on Influence of Recent Storm on Bird Life. G7 



the pigeons were seen in sucli incredible numbers, that I have 

 no doubt there had been an arrival from Scandinavia.'' 

 (Perhaps these were the Linlithgowshire birds noticed by- 

 Colonel Gillon below as having deserted that district.) " One 

 friend has seen a flock of snow buntings, after an interval of 

 thirty years since he had seen them before. At Bogend a lot of 

 partridges, with some water-hens, wood-pigeons, and smaller 

 birds, came close in front of the farmhouse, attracted by 

 crumbs thrown out to them. The front door being purposely 

 left open, several of the partridges actually came into the 

 lobby." 



Inverness-shire. — I am indebted to Arthur Forbes, Esq. of 

 Culloden, for the following valuable note as to his locality : 

 " January 1, 1879. — In reply to your esteemed favour, I may 

 state that the last severe and protracted frost told severely 

 on birds in this district, although not so much so as in some 

 previous winters. Eooks, wood-pigeons, partridges, and some 

 kinds of smaller birds were found dead, and woodcocks 

 became so poor as to be quite unfit for the table. Wild 

 swans were seen on the coast, and gTeat numbers of wild 

 duck. Grouse forsook their accustomed moorland haunts ; 

 some were seen and shot close to the sea-shore. There were 

 unusually few berries on holly, hawthorn, shrubs, etc., this 

 season, and even turnip-tops — very much the winter food of 

 wood-pigeons — were covered with snow, which lay on the 

 ground to about a foot in depth. I consider it w^as want of 

 food rather than the severe frost that killed the various birds. 

 The lowest temperature in the air was 13° 8', and 6° on the 

 grass. For twenty-three nights the thermometer was below 

 the freezing-point, and the average temperature for the whole 

 month was only 33° 38', being 3° 63' below that of 1860. — 

 Yours sincerely, Arthur Forbes." 



Linlithgowshire. — Colonel Gillon of Wallhouse, Bathgate, 

 writing on January 9, says : " I may begin by stating that, 

 having delayed covert shooting a little too long, the snow 

 came on in such earnest, that I had to abandon that sport 

 and take to wild fowl and snipe shooting along the rivers and 

 burns, chiefly however on Couston and its tributaries. A 

 good many birds have died of starvation. Since the storm 



