56 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



House-Sparrow (Passer domesticus). — Common about the 

 houses and in the oat-stubbles near the farms ; not going far 

 from human habitations, and nowhere in large flocks. 



Twite (Linota flavirostris). — Small flocks of five to twelve were 

 seen every dav feeding on the stubbles, while occasionally a few 

 were observed on the heather. I am not sufficiently acquainted 

 with the note of this bird to distinguish it from that of the Lin- 

 net, but the slimness and greater comparative length of tail 

 were conspicuous points of difference, while, with the glasses, 

 the yellow beak could be made out. They were always very 

 restless, and not nearly so tame as most of the other birds. 



Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis). — A single bird of this 

 species was seen on the moors on Oct. 10th ; the main flocks had 

 not arrived by the 18th. 



Sky-Lark (Alauda arvensis). — Not very numerous ; a few were 

 generally to be seen in the grassy meadows, and around the edges 

 of the loch ; they seemed to prefer places that were somewhat 

 wet and boggy to the drier parts of the meadows. A few were 

 also seen on the " brakes" (pieces of enclosed moorland not yet 

 cultivated), but none were noticed on the moorland itself. 



Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). — Every evening a vast flock of 

 some thousands assembled at sunset on the few small trees in 

 the garden at Grcemeshall, quite blackening the almost bare 

 branches. At the same time the ridges of the roofs and " crow- 

 steps " of the gables would be similarly occupied, while a ring of 

 birds were seated round the edge of every chimney-pot. A little 

 later on, and apparently by signal, they would all rise in a great 

 cloud, and go off to roost on the reeds in the loch. During the 

 day there were comparatively few to be seen ; one or two small 

 flocks were always feeding round the loch edge, and a few were 

 constantly about the farm-buildings, but where the vast numbers 

 that assembled at evening came from was a mystery. The tame- 

 ness of those about the house was absurd ; when disturbed from 

 the chicken-run they would fly on to the wall, and sit chattering 

 within six or eight feet of one. The majority of the birds 

 were immature, in a plumage that I had not noticed before, the 

 head and neck being a dull russet-brown, while the rest of the 

 body was in the speckled glossy plumage. 



Jackdaw (Corvus monecula). — A large colony inhabited the 





