Nores ON THE Birps OF DUMFRIESSHIRE. 63 
The Birds of Dumfriesshire had I known of them in time :-— 
A list of Rookeries in the following parishes was drawn up 
in 1844: 
Dalton Hook, Halldykes, Old Walls,+ Corrielaw 
(Drysdale sic). 
Balgray,*+ Jardine Hall,*} Dinwoodiey (Applegarth). 
Shaw*+ (Hutton). 
Raehills (Johnstone). 
Park Woods (Kirkpatrick). 
Leitherhall, Miln,*+ Girthhead*t+ (Wamphray). 
Craigieburn*} (Moffat). 
The sign * indicates that the Rookery so marked was in 
existence in 1908, and 7; that it existed in 1921: possibly 
others now to be seen were known by other names in 1844. 
A rookery of about twenty nests existed close to Cape- 
noch in 1847 and there were a few nests in the oak trees 
round the house till about 1884. The tremendous gale of 
January 25th-27th in that year blew down the old nests and 
the Rooks did not return after that date. My grandmother 
was anxious for them to come back but not so her game- 
keeper. It was suggested that if baskets were put up in the 
trees it might attract them but I expect that this effectually 
scared them away and I can imagine the glee with which the 
gamekeeper would therefore join in the proposal to erect the 
baskets. 
In Sir William Jardine’s correspondence, in 1858, the 
following Rookeries are mentioned: ‘‘ Amisfield (Tinwald), 
partly cut down; Raehills (Johnstone), destroyed by hurri- 
cane of 1857; Woodcockair (Annan), partially destroyed by 
the same cause; Halleaths (Lochmaben), partially destroyed 
by some of the trees being cut down.’ The Rookery at 
Jardine Hall was extensive and, about 1870, people used to 
come from Liverpool, and other parts of Lancashire, for the 
Rook shooting in the spring. 
The economic value of the Rook, from an agricultural 
point of view was, and is still, a fertile subject for discus- 
