114 NATURAL HISTORY AND 



When the month of December is mild, rooks 

 build, thrushes sing, blackcocks croon, wood- 

 pigeons coo, martin swallows sometimes appear, 

 and even butterflies have been known to show 

 themselves. Editors of newspapers are often 

 bored at Christmas with accounts of some one 

 or other of these wonders, which so often occur 

 every mild winter season. 



Another interesting section of the omnivora, the 

 starlings, are very numerous here. They come 

 in clouds every evening to roost on the old beeches 

 and elms, close to and even among the rooks. 

 Hidling in their nesting habits, they cannot be 

 watched so easily as rooks ; but by the common 

 mode of fixing boxes to the higher branches of a 

 tall tree, we induced two pairs to adopt a ready- 

 made home. I liked better, however, to see them 

 choose their own site among the thick ivy of the 

 garden wall, where several pairs hatch every year. 

 Of course my boys tamed one this summer, which 



sparrow I see almost every day when going to shoot in the 

 north end of the island. The Port-Bannatyne bird I saw all 

 last season as well as this. I am, &c. 



"JOHN COLQUHOUN. " 



