Notes on the Birds of Stobo. By John Thomson. 553 



such unless in the near neighbourhood of houses. They are, moreover, 

 often ejected by the Star'ing, and desperate battles between male Sparrows 

 are frequent to decide who shall be the owners of certain favourite nest- 

 holes A combat of this kind, the conclusion of which I witnessed, 

 resulted in one of the birds being so much injured that it was quite unable 

 to fly, and would most certainly have died had I not thought it merciful 

 to destroy it. While a pair were engaged rearing their bulky domicile in 

 the top of a holly bush, near to where I reside, one carried off a pocket 

 handkerchief, seventeen inches square, as material for their work, but the 

 sharp spikes of the holly leaves frustrated their design. 



Prior to the winter of 1878-9 the Siskin was frequently seen in the 

 district, and numbers appeared yearly in the beginning of May, who 

 continued their migration further northward. Though I only discovered 

 one nest, I have often seen and heard the birds here during their breeding 

 season. The nest was very inaccessible, being placed at the extremity of 

 a high branch of an Alder tree. While she was sitting the female had 

 food brought to her by the male Siskin. Their call-note may be likened 

 to the Scotch word " chiel." 



If the Redfolk nestles at all with us it does so very sparingly. Con- 

 siderable flocks appear in autumn, feeding principally on the seeds of the 

 Birch tree. Probably it is when these seeds are somewhat exhausted that 

 the birds move off, which they generally do about the beginning or middle 

 of December. Some other route apparently is chosen for their return 

 journey in Spring, as I fail to notice them at that season. 



in the autumn of 1873 considerable numbers of Crossbills arrived, and 

 remained with ns throughout the succeeding winter and spring. Their 

 presence was noted again in September 1879, and in the earl}- winter 

 of 18S3. 



During the last twenty years the Starling has very markedly increased, 

 being now nearly as common as the Blackbird. When the winters are 

 mild small numbers stay with ns, but a heavy snowfall commonly, though 

 not invariably, drives them all off seawards. If the weather is propitious 

 they return early in the year, and soon begin to interest themselves with a 

 critical inspection of the holes and cavities of trees and buildings. This 

 they carry on for many weeks before any material is brought wherewith 

 to lay the nest's foundation. The young are hatched very often in the 

 second week of May, they remain three weeks in the nest, arid the 

 majority are fledged with much regularity in the first week of June. They 

 are at once withdrawn to some clump or plantation of Firs, or other trees 

 of dense foliage, where they are fed for about a week until fully equipped 

 for flight— scores of young and old birds being often seen in such retreats. 

 Then, gathering into flocks, they leave this district. Some pairs breed 

 twice, beginning again to lay eggs in the same nest soon after the young 

 have left ; but the proportion who do so is very small, and I have calculated 

 it to be not more than one in every thirty or forty pairs. These second 

 broods are fledged about the middle of July. Towards the end of August the 

 Starlings return in limited numbers, and may then be seen perched on the 

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