WEST COAST OF SCOTLAND. 95 



disheartened by the non-appearance for two years of the West 

 Coast of England Eeport which was entrusted to Mr. Philip M. 

 Kermode. We earnestly hope they will now continue to send 

 in schedules, the Isle of Man stations being most important. 



The rapid increase of the Stock Dove in South and Central 

 Scotland is very remarkable. They appeared commonly in 

 East Stirlingshire in 1884-85, and have been nesting for some 

 years in the Vale of Menteith, one of the high roads of migration. 

 Many crossed the North Sea this past season to the East English 

 coasts. Migration undoubtedly has a great influence upon 

 extension of range, and the process seems easy to trace out ; 

 and it is very interesting also to find a similar extension of the 

 Stock Dove to the rabbit-burrows of the sandy coast of Moray of 

 late years {and. Kev. Dr. Gordon and Capt. Dunbar Brander). 



It appears useful in this place to speak of the comparative 

 numbers of Woodcocks in the past six years. At the conclusion 

 of our General Kemarks on the last Eeport (1883) we called 

 attention to the unusually large movement of Woodcocks, and to 

 the area which appeared to have been principally selected by 

 them before their final departure for N. Europe. As mentioned 

 already (Report 1883), we had very few indications of their 

 passage over Isle of May or East Coast lighthouse stations ; and 

 all stations returning any mark them as " rare " (see Eeport, 

 1882) or "rare in spring." Pentland Skerries, Bell Eock and 

 Isle of May in six years have only recorded amongst them an 

 infinitesimal number of spring records, and almost always with 

 the remark "rare." 



In 1879, which was a good Woodcock year in Scotland, we 

 have not a single lighthouse record from either W. or E. Coasts. 

 Yet I saw nineteen killed one day near here. In 1880, no 

 records. In 1881, no spring records and scarce in autumn. 

 Eecords at Butt of Lewis, Skerry vore and Lismore. Earliest, 

 Oct. 28th. In 1882, a few spring records, one at Isle of May, 

 April 9th ("not remembered before at this season," J. A.) 

 Considerable and steady records, however, in autumn at five 

 stations, north of Pentland Skerries inclusive, and at Isle of 

 May. Eush Oct. 20th (twenty shot at Isle of May). In 1883, 

 one record in spring at Bell Eock, April 7th, and rare in autumn ; 

 none till October, when a few at Monach Isle, Dhuheartach, 

 Lismore, Loch Eyan, and in November at Kyleakin and Lismore, 



