513 The Zoologist — Decemder, 1866. 



Wild While Caltle —In my last "Notes" (Zool. S. S. 242) I 



inentioned the ravages of the cattle plague among the wild cattle at 



Cadzow. About one half of the herd survived, and the disease has 



long since disappeared. 



Edward R. Alston. 



Stockbriggs, Lesmahagow, N. B., 

 October 12, 1866. 



Ornithological Notes from Lanarkshire. 

 By Edward R. Alston, Esq. 



(Continued from S. S. 21). 



Common Redstart. — On the 15th of August T saw a beautiful male 

 of this species. This is the first redstart I ever saw here, although 

 the species is not uncommon in some parts of Scotland. A few years 

 ago a pair of birds bred in a garden at Hamilton, and were recorded 

 in the 'Field' as the black redstart. On investigation, however, it 

 proved that the figure by which they had been identified was wrongly 

 named, and that the birds were of this species. 



Willow Wren. — On ihe 26th of June I saw a willow wren's nest in 

 a very unusual situation, namely, in a hole in a garden wall, nearly 

 seven feet from the ground. The wall is covered on the top with turf, 

 in a hollow beneath which the nest was placed : it was still further 

 concealed from view by the topmost branches of an apple-tree which 

 is trained against the wall. 



Chaffinch. — On the evening of the 18lh of June T observed a small 

 bird running up the bare upright stem of a Scotch fir ; on coming 

 nearer I was surprised to find that it was a chaffinch. It afterwards 

 performed the same feat on another tree, climbing the perpendicular 

 trunk with as much apparent ease as a creeper. As it allowed me to 

 approach within a few yards there could be no possible mistake as to 

 the species ; but surely climbing trees is not a common accomplish- 

 ment in the finch tribe. 



Roller. — A roller was killed near Glasgow in the beginning of 

 October. Most unfortunately the skin fell a victim to the prevailing 

 " jilume mania," but I got the legs, still fresh and pliant, from Mr. 

 M'Culloch, bird-stufTer, Sauchiehall Street. 



Wood Pigeon. — With regard to the question as to the food of this 

 bird, I am afraid there can be no doubt that, where very numerous, it 

 does much mischief: I can fully corroborate Mr. Ranson's remarks 



