34 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
In concluding these notes, I may add that nearly all the birds 
mentioned passed through my hands, besides several others which 
have been already recorded in ‘ The Zoologist.’ 
OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
AnrmaL Sounps.—In the ‘Complaynt of Scotland,’ 1549, a reprint of 
which, edited by Mr. A. J. H. Murray, appeared in 1872, the following 
quaint passage occurs:—‘* The Nott (neat cattle) made noise with many a 
loud low. Both horse and mares did fast nee, and the foles nechyr. The 
bulls began to bullir when the sheep began to blait, because the calves 
began to mo, when the dogs berkit. Then the swine began to quhryne, 
when they heard the ass rai, which made the hens kekkyl when the cocks 
creu. The chickens began to peu when the glede quhissillit. The fox 
followed the fed geese, and made them cry elaik; the goslings cried quhilk, 
quhilk, and the ducks cried quaik. The ropeen of the ravens made the 
cranes crope; the hooded crows cried varrok, varrok, when the swans 
murnit, because the grey goul man (gull men) prognosticated a storm. The 
turtle began to greit when the cushat zoulit. The titlene (hedgesparrow) 
followed the goilk (cuckoo), and made her sing gui, guk. The dove croutit 
her sad song that sounded like sorrow. Robin and the little wren were 
homely in winter. The iangolyne of the swallow made the jay tangil. 
Then the mavis made mirth for to mock the merle. The laverock made 
melody up high in the skies. The nightingale all the night sang sweet 
notes. The tueichitis (lapwings) cried theuis nek when the piettis (magpies) 
elattirt. The garruling of the starling made the sparrows cheip. The 
lyntquhit (linnet) sang counterpoint when the ouzel zelpit. The green 
serene (green linnet) sang sweet when the gold spynk (goldtinch) chanted. 
The redshank cried my fut, my fut, and the oxeye (tomtit) cried tueit. 
The herons gave a wild screech as the kyl had been on fire, which made the 
quhapis (curlews) for fleetness fly far from home.” 
Hasirs or THE Sroar.—aAt p. 122 of ‘ The Zoologist,’ Mr. Gateombe 
remarks upon the so called “ ermine ” dress of the Stoat, ‘‘ Specimens are 
met with in their white, or partly white, winter dress in comparatively mild 
seasons.” Such is my own experience, and having from time to time seen 
many specimens, I am inclined to think that the severity of the weather is 
not the whole cause of the change of colour; and I am further confirmed in 
my supposition from the fact of having seen one in its partly white dress 
as early as October of the present year. Whether it is usual for them to 
“ee ee 
