892 The Zoologist — September, 1867. 



Snoto Bunting.— Local names, "snow bird" and "snow-flake." 

 Local, and irregular as to its arrivals, according to the severity of the 

 season. It frequents the mountain-tops, and also that portion of the 

 low-lying carse-land called Gallowmuir. I have seen it also in many 

 other localities. 



Bunting. — Common in particular localities, as in the clover and hay- 

 fields of the carse-lands. Nest difficult to find. 



Blackheaded Bunting.— Local names, "coaly head" and "reed 

 sparrow." Common. In the ' Zoologist' (Zool. 8633) I mentioned 

 having found an egg of this bird like a yellow wagtail's, " being grayish 

 white and minutely freckled, with a darker colour at the larger end." 

 The Editor asked, in a note, " was it not a cuckoo's ?" It certainly 

 was no cuckoo's. It was not half the size of a cuckoo's, and was 

 pointed a little at one end : I compared it with several, but there was 

 no resemblance. I have many curiously marked eggs of the black- 

 headed bunting. See ' Zoologist' for 1866 (S. S. 146). 



Yellow Bunting. — Local names,"yite" and "yeldroch." Abundant. 



Chaffinch.— Local name, "shel fie." Abundant. Of the eggs of 

 this bird I have two nests of the pale variety. In both instances they 

 were found close to and above water. 



Mountain Finch. — Local name, " cock o' the north." I once saw a 

 pair of bramblings on the 15th of April, and they had every appear- 

 ance of having a nest near. I looked carefully for it for some time 

 without success. The birds were constantly attending me, and I once 

 almost caught one with my hand, they came so close. I felt quite 

 positive that they had a nest. Curiously enough I saw a siskin the 

 same day. This was in a young wood about six miles south of 

 Stirling. I have never seen the brambling here in great numbers until 

 last winter (1866-07); when immense flocks made their appearance. 

 In I860, when such large numbers visited the vicinity of Edinburgh, 

 I only saw some half-dozen or so here. 



House Sparrow. — In the hole in a house in Larbert village a sparrow 

 brought forth to the light of day one young bird almost pure white, 

 another, which I afterwards shot for my collection, with white wings, 

 and another of the common type. Perhaps no egg varies more in 

 sizes than those of the common sparrow. I have some as large as 

 corn bunting's, others as small as a meadow pipit's. 



Greenfinch. — Local name, "green lintie." Abundant. I have 

 taken their eggs, fresh, much later than any of the other finches. 



Goldfinch. — Local name, " gokhV or "gouldie." Now a scarce 



