886 The Zoologist — September, 1867. 



to breed on the high cliffs of Ballochleam, in the parish of Garque- 

 mock ; Dumyat Hill, parish of Logie; and near the town of Campsil. 

 I know of one spot in the west of the county where it still breeds. In 

 the ' New Statistical Account of Scotland,' it is erroneously called " the 

 goshawk," and this erroneous name is still prevalent amongst the lower 

 classes. On the Abbey Craig, near Stirling, the peregrine used also 

 to breed and supply the royal household of Queen Mary with falcons, 

 and I believe even at the present time it breeds there occasionally. 



Merlin. — The merlin is pretty generally distributed over the county, 

 but prefers the higher grounds for nesting. The local name is the 

 " small blue hawk." One breeding-place is near the summit of Dumyat 

 Hill, one of the Ochills, and another on the Fintry Hills, near 

 Culcreuch, besides several others with which I am myself acquainted. 

 I received a beautiful little male merlin once which committed suicide 

 by flying against a plate-glass window in the mansion house of Mr. 

 Gilbert Stirling, in this neighbourhood. 



Kestrel. — The kestrel is our commonest hawk, and is called the 

 " red hawk " in contradistinction to the sparrow hawk or " blue hawk." 

 A favourite locality or breeding-place of the kestrel is in the ruins of 

 Torwood Castle, in a most inaccessible spot. I have frequently found 

 their eggs, at an elevation of not more than thirty feet from the ground, 

 in an old magpie's nest. The kestrel breeds abundantly near Loch 

 Lomond, both on the islands and on the shore. 



Goshawk. — Captain Spiers writes, " On a crag on my land is an 

 eyrie of the goshawk, and not far from this locality a peregrine falcon 

 was shot a few years ago ?" 



Kite. — This splendid bird used to breed plentifully in Stirlingshire, 

 more especially among the pine woods of the hills around Loch 

 Lomond. It has long since disappeared during the breeding-season, 

 and is only rarely seen at any time. See 'Zoologist' for March, 

 1867 (S. S. 632). 



Common Buzzard. — The common buzzard, though not very long 

 ago a plentiful species, is not now so common. It used to inhabit a 

 great many different parts of the county, but gamekeepers &c. have 

 driven it away to wilder haunts. I believe, however, that it still breeds 

 in the county amongst the central hills of Campsil, and probably around 

 Loch Lomond. 



Marsh Harrier. — Of this bird I have no authenticated information 

 to give, but put it down simply because it was at one time far from 

 being a rare bird in other counties. 



