Birds. 9441 



principally on the berries of the rowan, or mountain ash ; later in the 

 season they resort to the moors and upland pastures. After feeding 

 on the fruit of the dog-rose the dung is of a bright scarlet colour ; the 

 skins of the rowans are rolled up into little balls by the action of 

 the gizzard. In the stomach of one which I dissected no grit or 

 pebbles were found, but plenty of seeds, which agrees with Mr. 

 Boulton's observations on the Bohemian waxwing (Zool. 8882). 



Whinchat. — Rather an uncommon bird in this neighbourhood. 

 The gizzard of one which I examined in July was full of the limbs of 

 those destructive insects commonly called "long-legs" (Tipulce), of 

 which the bird must have destroyed an immense quantity. 



Robin. — The scarcity of robins, of which so many of your corre- 

 spondents complained in 1863, is not observed here : this winter they 

 are particularly plentiful, more so indeed than almost any other species, 

 except the chaffinch. It is common enough for these birds to take 

 refuge in houses in severe weather, but I do not think that it is usual 

 for them to return to the same retreat for several seasons in suc- 

 cession : one has inhabited the ground-floor of this house for the last 

 two winters, and has lately returned for the third time. He is per- 

 fectly tame, finds his way through the various passages with great 

 ease, and evidently knows what glass is, for he is careful never to 

 dash against the windows, as birds so often do. 



Meadow Pipit. — I shot one in July, seated on the topmost branch 

 of a young spruce fir about twelve feet high, and in the middle of a 

 plantation : is this common ? Here the meadow pipit is very plen- 

 tiful on the moors : it is called the " moss-cheeper." 



Brambling. — This beautiful finch has appeared in large flocks in 

 Ayrshire this winter : hitherto it has not been noticed in this neigh- 

 bourhood. 



Creeper. — The creeper is rather a pugnacious bird ; if one settles 

 on a tree which is already occupied, a fight is sure to ensue, which 

 continues until one is driven away : I have seen a cole tit fly before 

 one of these apparently delicate little birds. In 1859 a pair of 

 creepers built here in a shed over a saw-pit, within a yard of where 

 the men were constantly working ; and although the board which 

 concealed the nest was twice removed by boys, still they persevered, 

 and succeeded in hatching, although not in rearing, their young, 

 which were destroyed by a cat. The nest was built of bits of wood, 

 shavings and straw, thickly lined with feathers. 



Swallow and Martin. — These birds often nest in strange places : 

 this summer a pair of the latter species built under the wooden cover 

 VOL. XXIII. I 



