APPENDIX. BIRDS. 403 



LOXIA LEUCOPTERA [ White- Winged Crossbill}. 



About fifty years ago, a large flock of these birds suddenly made 

 their appearance on the " Castle trees," in this neighbourhood. 

 Their strange appearance and gaudy plumage soon attracted 

 notice, nearly the whole town flocking to see the " foreigners. " 

 They appeared quite exhausted, many of them dropping from 

 the trees. 



STURNUS VULGARIS [The Starling}. 



The starling has been rapidly increasing of late years. At one time 

 single starlings were rarely to be seen, whereas flocks of this 

 bird now appear towards the close of every season. 



STURNUS PREDATORIUS [The Red- Winged Starling}. 

 A pretty bird which occasionally visits this county. 



PASTOR ROSEUS \Rose-Coloured Pastor]. 



This is another rare beauty, occasionally seen in this county. 



CORVUS OORAX [The Raven]. 



A few of these birds inhabit the precipitous parts of the coast, 

 where they breed in company with the falcon, kestrel, gull, 

 guillemot, etc. The raven will tame pretty well ; it will talk 

 hoarsely, and do mischievous tricks. 



CORVTJS CORONE [Carrion Crow], and 

 CORVUS CORNIX [Hooded Crow]. 



Both occur in about equal numbers. (See p. 271.) 



CORVTJS FRUGILEGUS [The Rook]. 



Many large rookeries exist in the county. (See p. 126.) 



CORVUS MONEDULA [The Jackdaw]. 

 Very plentiful. (See p. 25.) 



CORVUS PICA [Magpie]. 



One of the most bashful of birds. It is very sparingly distributed, 

 and in some places is scarcely known. Our keepers both shoot 

 and trap them wherever found. 



Picus MAJOR [Greater Spotted Woodpecker]. 



Several pairs of this showy bird have been procured within our 

 district. It is also found in the higher parts of the county. 

 A specimen was shot near Banff, and when dissected, its 

 stomach was found crammed with two species of grub, of a 

 creamy or grayish colour. It contained also several beetles and 

 a small spider. 



Picus MINOR [Lesser Spotted Woodpecker]. 



More rare than the last. One sent to me, fourteen years since, 

 from Mayen, where it was shot, and another seen on the Lodge 

 hills, are all that I am aware of. Very probably others have 

 occurred. 



YUNX TORQUILLA [ Wryneck]. 



The late Professor Macgillivray, of Marischal College, Aberdeen, 

 informed me that one was taken at or near Portsoy, by a pupil 



