128 SKETCHES OF BIRD LIFE. 



would remain ' weeping all night/ and in the morning 

 would fly down and pick about on the corks and 

 other portions of the nets that were out of water. 

 As I discovered they were known to the men by 

 the name of ' Herring Spink/ I was particular in 

 inquiring whether they referred to the Chaffinch, 

 but I found they were well acquainted with that bird 

 also. During the autumn of 1863 I found, early 

 one morning, a fir plantation on the coast of East 

 Lothian almost covered with these birds ; there 

 must have been scores on every tree for several 

 acres. How such a gathering can be accounted for 

 I am at a loss to judge, unless they had just crossed 

 the sea from the North of Europe. I visited the 

 same place the next day provided with a supply of 

 dust shot, with a view to discover if any Fire-crests 

 were among their number, but the flock had entirely 

 disappeared." 



On the east coast of Scotland Mr. Robert Gray 

 saw a very large flock arrive one day in autumn. 

 They took possession of a cabbage plot, and looked 

 more like a swarm of bees than a crowd of birds. 

 On every plant there were half a dozen or more 

 perched, some busied in looking for insects, others 



