284 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



one of these breeding places," says Wilson, "the noise of the old 

 and the young would almost induce one to suppose that two or 

 three hundred Indians were choking or throttling each other. 

 The instant an intruder is discovered, the whole rise in the air in 

 silence, and remove to the tops of the trees in another part of the 

 woods, while parties of from eight to ten make occasional circuits 

 over the spot to see what is going on. When the young are able, 

 they climb to the highest part of the trees; but, knowing their 

 inability, do not attempt to fly. Though it is probable that these 

 nocturnal birds do not see well during the day, yet their faculty 

 of hearing must be exquisite, as it is almost impossible, with all 

 the precautions one can use, to penetrate near their residence 

 without being discovered. Several species of hawks hover around, 

 making an occasional sweep among the young ; and the bald eagle 

 himself has been seen reconnoitring near the spot, probably with 

 the same design." 



I am reminded by Mr Angus that Mr Gould (vide " Birds of 

 Europe"), considers Nycticorax Europoeus to be distinct from Ardea 

 Nycticorax of American authors. " If the difference be specific," 

 writes Mr Angus, " which I much doubt, the specimen killed in 

 this country is the larger bird." On consulting Professor Baird's 

 valuable work on the "Birds of North America" (Philadelphia, 

 1860), I find it stated, under the head Nyctiardea Gardeni, that 

 "the American Night Heron is similar to the European N. Grisea, 

 but is larger, the bill stouter. The young birds have the quills 

 with an apical white spot not found in the European." If the 

 latter distinction, therefore, holds good, the specimen which my 

 excellent correspondent so carefully describes, is in reality the 

 American bird, and consequently new to Britain, if not to Europe. 



THE WHITE STORK. 



01 CON I A ALBA. 



Chorra-bhan. 



THIS handsome and interesting bird has never, so far as I can 

 learn, appeared in any part of the western mainland. 



In the statistical account of the parish of Craig, in Forfarshire, 

 prepared by the late Mr Thomas Mollison, Montrose, and published 



