9796 Binh. 



14th of November is the earliest day I have noted the appearance of 

 the fieldfare, the 29lh of April the latest. My tame kestrel, mentioned 

 above, seems particularly fond of these birds, and, to judge by the 

 quantity of remains I find about, the wild hawks must evince the same 

 partiality. 



So?ig Tlirush. — Very common. 



Redtcipg. — An equally common winter visitor with the fieldfare, but 

 rather earlier. I have generally first seen it attacking the red berries 

 on the May-bushes, after finishing which it generally retires to the 

 turnip-fields, where it stays, except during a very hard frost, 

 through the winter, not being nearly so numerous in the water- 

 meadows as the fieldfare. I am afraid I cannot throw any light on the 

 disputed point of this bird singing in England ; though I have fre- 

 quentl}^ listened to large flocks of them in the apple-trees late in the 

 spring, I have only heard them twittering very much like a flock of 

 starlings ; in fact, unless seen, it is very difficult to distinguish one from 

 the other. 



Blackbird. — Very common, in spite of the war made against it by 

 the gardeuers. I have seen several pied varieties this winter, generally 

 white about the neck and throat. 



Hedgesparrow. — Very common ; locally known as the " blind 

 dunnoch." 



liobin. — Equally common with the last. 



Redstart. — A not very common summer visitor. I have usually 

 noted its appearance between the IGtli and IDlh of A]iril. 



Slouechat. — Npt at all an uncommon bird here during the greater 

 part of the year, though they always leave during the middle of the 

 winter for the more sheltered valleys on the Qiiantoch and other 

 neighbouring hills, as I have seen them there at all times of the year, 

 summer and winter; within this particular parish I have never noticed 

 them during the winter, the 5th of Maich being the earliest date I have 

 of their a])pearance, and they usually disajjpear about the middle of 

 November. 



Whiiichat. — 1 have never seen any of these birds in this parish until 

 this year, though I have been on the look out for theui i'or some time 

 for my collection. This year I got three male birds, all killed in this 

 parish on the 18lh and 19th of A])ril. They were on the low hedges 

 near the brook, perching on the highest twigs in the same conspicuous 

 manner that stonechats do. 



Wheatear. — I have only seen two of these birds in this parish. 

 The first was in the spring of 1863, when 1 shot one iu an open 



