2 8o LOCH C RERAN. 



are represented, so we watch them sharply. They are so 

 very busy and so inquiring with their bills that we come 

 to the conclusion they must really be nipping off the 

 buds and devouring them, so we note exactly the 

 branches and twigs that are visited and overhauled by 

 them, with the intention of having our turn of investiga- 

 tion. It is quite a reasonable supposition, as has been 

 suggested to us, that constant nibbling of buds after 

 imprisoned insects might lead the birds to devour the 

 buds themselves, " as a vegetable adjunct to their insect 

 diet," so we go up to see. There were half a dozen 

 bullies, at anyrate, on this small larch, and on three 

 several days have they paid marked attention to it, yet 

 not a bud do we see nipped from the twigs or branches 

 that we " marked down." It is clear that here, at 

 anyrate, the insects have been scarce, and the buds 

 themselves offered no inducement to the bonny birds. 



Squirrels have been increasing at a great rate these 

 last few years, and one even streamed across the little 

 trees of the plantation at our door the other day ; while 

 they have penetrated up the beautiful glen, of the same 

 name, at the head of our loch. At the same time our 

 wild fruit harvest has been almost nil, our fir cone 

 harvest distinctly poor, and all the bellies of these active 

 beauties to be filled. Will they become carnivorous in 

 sheer desperation, is a question we have long asked 

 ourselves, but although we have kept our eyes open for 

 indications in this direction, we have found none. Our 

 friend from the beautiful glen, however, asked us lately 

 the pertinent question, " Why so many young birds were 

 lying dead last year with their heads crushed and the 

 brains devoured, and who were the murderers?" We 

 had not observed the facts, and could vouchsafe no reply. 



