452 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
disappearance of Sky Larks was “without doubt” caused by Starlings 
destroying their eggs, I was more guided by the opinion of others having 
better opportunities for observation than myself, than by my own con- 
victions. From whatever cause it may be, it is certain that Sky Larks 
have almost entirely disappeared, not only in the parish of Troqueer 
(wrongly spelt last month), but everywhere within a circuit of about six 
miles from Dumfries—that is, in both the counties of Dumfriesshire and 
Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfries being situated on the River Nith, which 
divides the two counties. In numerous other places is the same complaint 
heard. The causes that have thinned the flocks of other of our native 
birds do not operate in the case of the Lark. Birdcatchers do not take 
them in our locality to any appreciable extent, gamekeepers and farmers 
have no antipathy to them, reclamation of the wilder parts of the district 
does not seem to drive them off; and they are not specially the victims of 
any of the birds of prey, for Merlins are very rare with us; so that it is 
difficult to assign any reason for their great decrease, if the Starlings are 
not the authors of the mischief. The search for food leads the Starlings 
into the places frequented by Larks, and when there, from what I have 
seen of their evil propensities, I believe they will not hesitate to destroy 
every nest they fall in with. In several instances I have seen them 
breaking the eggs and tearing up the nests of House Sparrows which had 
built in ivy-covered trees, sheer malice apparently being the only incentive. 
I have also seen—and indeed this is a common complaint in the district— 
Starlings enter the pigeon-boxes and destroy the eggs of the Pigeons, and 
I have also seen them pull out the newly-hatched young birds and drop 
them to the ground, all the while chattering with glee, and seemingly 
taking a deal of pleasure in perpetrating these atrocities. It is very 
remarkable, and I am afraid more than a mere coincidence, that as the 
Starlings have increased and multiplied so the Larks have disappeared, 
and it is, I think, reasonable enough to connect the Starlings in some way 
with the absence of Larks. I observe Mr. R. Gray is of the same opinion, 
for in the ‘ Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Glasgow’ (vol. i., 
part i., p. 13), he mentions that “ Starlings have become destructive to the 
Sky Lark and other birds building on the ground, the nests of which are 
rifled of their contents, even when the eggs are newly hatched, as has been 
repeatedly observed by trustworthy observers.”—Rogpertr Service (Max- 
welltown, N.B.). 
[Were the scarcity or absence of Larks observable only at this particular 
season, it might be accounted for by the fact that Larks not only flock, but 
migrate southward at the approach of cold weather. Certain districts 
in North Britain might thus be entirely deserted by these birds in 
wivter.—Eb.] ; 
