522 Birds of Lauderdale, by Mr Andrew Kelly. 



young families may be forthcoming when other birds are laying 

 their eggs in the hills around. These they readily scent out, and 

 use up in detail ; for they require an enormous amount of egg- 

 food for their young. To obtain these there is many a fight be- 

 tween the sable marauder and the rightful owner. When more 

 advanced, the branchers are fed with young grouse, &c. ; and 

 even weakly lambs are torn up for their support. At Broad- 

 shawrig, Mr Simson once counted upwards of three hundred 

 egg-shells round a cairn of stones, opposite a Hoodie's nest. 

 They purposely use such halting places, to keep their own retreat 

 clear of suspicion. Last year 1 came upon a knoll similarly 

 situated. It was perfectly littered with egg-shells, and amongst 

 them — singularly enough — I observed those of the Kestrel hawk. 

 Another peculiarity of the Hoodie is, that it seems to settle, not 

 bo much on the tops of trees, as on the lower branches, that it 

 may the better peer about for nests ; in which pursuit its 

 success is always better than it deserves. 



Ctjckoo, (Cuculus canorus). — Much has been said of the incuba- 

 tion of the Cuckoo, but little or nothing how the Meadow Pipits 

 manage to feed their big nursling. I was talking to Mr Simson 

 on the subject, and he told me that when he was living at Edgar- 

 hope, a young Cuckoo happened to seat itself, for some time, on 

 the low branch of a tree, near where he was herding. It was 

 attended by Meadow Pipits, or as they are called here, Gray 

 Cheepers, which were most assiduous in providing insects to 

 support the hungry giant. He observed then, as he did on an- 

 other occasion, that when they presented the Cuckoo with food, 

 they momentarily alighted on its shoulder, until they had cram- 

 med it down its throat. It is still uncertain whether the Cuckoo 

 drops only one egg during the season ; or so many single ones 

 in as many nests, throughout a wide circuit. We would notice 

 the constant recurrence of threes to almost every party of Cuckoos, 

 after the period of incubation, as showing that the adoption by 

 the Pipit has ceased, and that the young Cuckoo is now joined to 

 its legitimate parents. I say parents, because I believe that the 

 Cuckoo does pair, and also that the female, however she may 

 wander, does not altogether leave the district to which her egg 

 has been consigned. 



Wood Pigeon, (Columba palumbus). — It is nothing uncommon 

 during summer, to meet with small parties of Cushats roughing 

 it in glens and brae sides the most remote, where not a tree is to 

 be seen to vary their little solitude ; yet here they are contentedly 

 enjoying their lonesome life in little sweet nests among the bloom- 

 ing heather, or in the fine shingly sides of an empty burn. On 

 the other hand, a dove-cot pigeon, some years ago, built her nest 

 on the broad top of a spruce fir, in the Luggy plantation. The 

 nest was run up with a few sticks, like her country cousin's ; but 



