90 Report of Meetings for 1885. By Jas. Hardy. 



In none of the hill-glens are birds so numerous as might be 

 anticipated from the retirement they afford from disturbance 

 during the nesting season. There is not a high degree of genial 

 warmth, and insect food is scarce. Chaffinches are the most 

 numerous birds that breed here ; and there are a few Yellow- 

 hammers,Eedbreasts, and "Wrens, as well as Blackbirds, Thrushes, 

 and Missel-thrushes. The Ping-Ouzel continued (Oct. 6,) to 

 frequent the juniper bushes on the upper glens, and Moor-pipits 

 and Golden Plovers still occupied the moors. Moorfowls are not 

 scarce, and there is a sprinkling of Black Game ; Snipes likewise 

 occur ; Whinchats, Wheatears, and Stonechats breed in the ferny 

 and rough glen sides. The Watercrow visits Shippath, but is 

 seldom visible. The Horned Owl was roused from Stottancleugh 

 and Shippath. The young of the Kestrel were heard. A blue 

 Hawk skimmed past on one occasion with a small bird in its talons. 

 The Merlin nestles at Emmelscleugh on the testimony of Mi- 

 Gray. See his admirable notice of it, " Birds of the West of 

 Scotland," p. 34. Willow Wrens are never at a loss even in 

 woods the most exposed ; there are perhaps more of their kindred 

 here ; but only a Sedge Warbler was heard. Grey-linnets build 

 in the furze-bushes. Larks as might be expected are not lacking. 

 Wood-pigeons have become very scarce, and are no longer 

 mischievous. There was a single Pied Wagtail seen on our visit. 

 On Oct. 6, a solitary hermit Heron was surprised, perhaps watch- 

 ing for frogs, for there are no fishes in the rapid, shelveless 

 hill-burns here. Lapwings and Curlews have their summer haunts 

 in the wilds. Three Carrion Crows were seen. Pooks, and 

 Jackdaws, and Starlings, which are corn eaters, also come up from 

 the low country in great flocks in harvest to steal the scanty crops. 

 They station themselves out of sight in a glen, and send out bands 

 to levy tribute from the stooks at some distance. I noticed this 

 about the Pooks that in the evening, after a day's pilfering, for 

 I had watched their proceedings on two different dates here, that 

 they were assembled in a body in a grass field at Woollands till 

 after 6 o'clock, and when a girl happened to come out to drive home 

 the cows, they, warned by this messenger, all rose in a body and 

 flew to their roosting places in Dunglass wood a mile distant. 

 This was on Oct. 6th. The oat-crop did not ripen this year on 

 Aikengall. 



Pemote and withdrawn as Aikengall is from public intercourse, 

 jt did not escape a. visit from the rapacious English garrisons in 



