The Zoologist — September, 18G7. 887 



Hen Harrier. — A few are occasionally seen on the upper grounds, 

 but it is not at all a common bird now in this county, that I am aware 

 of. A favourite hunting and breeding-ground of this harrier was in 

 former days on the moors and mosses of the Campsil Hills. 



Longeared Owl. — The longeared owl is, I think, our commonest 

 owl : it is an unjustly persecuted bird, however, and I am afraid will 

 not be so plentiful in a few years unless somethiug can be done to 

 enlighten the senseless gamekeepers who persecute it. 



Shorteared Owl. — This bird has been observed on some of the 

 islands of Loch Lomond, but is not known to breed in these haunts or 

 on the neighbouring hills (Mr. R. Gray, in his pamphlet on the 

 ' Quadrupeds and Birds of Loch Lomond and its Vicinity.') 



Barn Owl. — The white owl is still common, and I think is less 

 persecuted now than it used to be ; I know of more than one game- 

 keeper who does not shoot them as vermin. I have seen this bird, 

 which is preeminently a nocturnal species, hunting and quartering a 

 stubble-field for mice in broad daylight. 



Tawny Otvl. — This owl is not so frequently observed, as it almost 

 invariably keeps to the depths and thickets of woods and forests : it is 

 therefore a more local species than the white and longeared owls. It 

 breeds regularly in the cleft of a rock in Torwood Forest, which is 

 overhung by a holly-bush. 



Great Gray Shrike. — The butcher bird has occurred several times, 

 to my own knowledge : three have come under my own observation ; 

 all of these are mentioned in the ' Zoologist.' The last, when I saw 

 it, was vigorously pulling to pieces a blue tit, placing its foot, or feet, 

 upon it, and tearing at it with its sharp beak. Another was obtained 

 by Dr. P. Brotherston, of Alloa, about the same time, which was 

 procured in the west of Fife : I formerly intimated to Mr. R. Gray 

 that this bird was killed on Dunmore estate, but have since found that 

 I had committed some mistake concerning it. One was caught in a 

 snare which had followed a blue tit into the trap and been itself 

 entangled ; it was caught by Sir J. Colquhonn, of Rossdhue, and 

 another was shot by his friend, Sir George Leith, about a year ago, at 

 the same place. 



Spotted Flycatcher. — Very common : I found a nest containing five 

 eggs of this bird in the parish of Dunipace, of a very light colour, and 

 which have a faint zone of minute freckles of pale red round the 

 larger end. 



Dipper. — The " water craw " is common on all our streams, and 



