Effects of the Winter of 1878-9, by James Hardy. 125 



covered rocks, and were searching for food beneath, the fucoids. Kedshanks, 

 curlews, and golden plovers also make this platform their feeding -ground. 

 A young starling and two rooks were found dead. On this day there were 

 several wrens observed stealing out and in among huge black blocks of rock, 

 uncovered by the retiring tide. After this the wrens wholly disappeared 

 from this part of the coast, and not a single bird has been detected since, 

 where a visitor at all seasons was always sure of meeting with them more or 

 less ; and among the stone -walls that encircle the fields, from whose aper- 

 tures they were constantly issuing, as if in lively pursuit of their prey, not a 

 bird is now visible ; and in our deans and woods the wren's silvery voice is 

 seldom now heard. They probably migrated, as no remains have been 

 observed in hollows or anywhere ; except that Mr Muirhead at Paxton saw 

 three during the storm, and afterwards found them dead in a hole of a wall. 

 Dec. 25th, the snow remained undiminished. Four or five fieldfares alone 

 survived in the turnip fields. The rest had either perished, or along with 

 the redwings departed to another district. The ground under furze-bushes 

 was strewed with the wings and skeletons of these birds. Starlings com- 

 menced to follow the sheep's evening resting-places. Eooks attacked corn- 

 stacks, and wood-pigeons continued to flock to turnip-fields on the coast, 

 where the leaves surmounted the snow ; and when driven off, hid themselves 

 on the sea-banks. 



At Bowshiel during the storm, the servant lad used to set out the remains 

 of his porridge for the cats, when three or four blackbirds regularly came to 

 help themselves, whenever the weather was unusually severe. Starlings in 

 vast numbers assembled in the stackyard ; and greenfinches and chaffinches 

 were very numerous. 



Jan. 10th, 1879, the ground already sealed up, acquired a fresh coating of 

 snow. A pair of fieldfares still persisted to frequent the sheep-fold ; cushats 

 continued their attacks on the turnip-foliage. Lapwings had gone ; but the 

 golden-plover still kept to the coast. Jan. 22nd, frost and snow still held the 

 supremacy, curlews frequented the margins of inland pools ; two fieldfares 

 still shewed themselves, and a snowflake was heard. Three titmice (ox-eyes), 

 hitherto absent, came to the window to be fed. Black-headed gulls were 

 noticed on the coast to-day and on the 23rd. On the 23rd, eight eider ducks 

 appeared at sea ; there were two fieldfares still on the fold (it is to be re- 

 marked that the sheep were fed with cake in addition to turnips) ; and a 

 flock of starlings came to the stackyard. Jan. 31st, the snow had been 

 further increased on the 30th and 31st, but the curlews on the shore were 

 uttering their spring-tide notes on the 29th and 30th, prematurely as it so 

 happened. A kestrel hovered about, and a raven made his advent on the 

 far-spreading white scene, marked at once by his great bulk, his breadth of 

 wing, and his strong flight, interrupted at intervals by curious diving move- 

 ments, and by his repeated liollow barks or croaks. Rooks were attracted to 

 the carcase of a dead horse ; and for several days had resorted regularly to 

 feed among the sea -weed on the kelp -covered rocks, bared at low tide. 

 Starlings cluste-i ing on the old grass leas, have sounded with their bills, for 

 worm or lurking insect, all the projecting tufts of grass ; and have diligently 

 with the same object, turned over all the sheep-droppings. Several still 



