﻿4 
  

  

  BIRDS. 
  

  

  the 
  house, 
  and 
  others 
  in 
  hollow 
  birch-trees 
  in 
  Glen 
  Avon 
  (Hinx- 
  

   man). 
  

  

  Under 
  date 
  of 
  May 
  17th, 
  1895, 
  Brown, 
  writing 
  from 
  Forres, 
  

   says 
  that 
  1 
  the 
  Starling 
  is 
  increasing 
  at 
  a 
  fearful 
  rate.' 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  this 
  abnormal 
  or 
  extraordinarily 
  rapid 
  increase 
  

   and 
  extension, 
  we 
  feel 
  ourselves 
  at 
  the 
  last 
  gasp 
  of 
  hope 
  that 
  the 
  

   Great 
  Spotted 
  Woodpecker 
  will 
  ever 
  return 
  and 
  gain 
  possession 
  of 
  

   its 
  old 
  haunts. 
  However 
  little 
  the 
  Starling 
  may 
  have 
  had 
  to 
  do 
  

   with 
  their 
  banishment, 
  we 
  fear 
  that, 
  by 
  sheer 
  force 
  of 
  numbers 
  

   and 
  aggressiveness, 
  they 
  will 
  oust 
  or 
  prevent 
  re-occupancy 
  by 
  the 
  

   woodpeckers. 
  

  

  The 
  Starling 
  is 
  an 
  interesting 
  and 
  sprightly 
  bird, 
  but 
  his 
  

   enormous 
  increase, 
  there 
  can 
  be 
  little 
  doubt, 
  has 
  been 
  caused 
  by 
  

   human 
  agency 
  to 
  a 
  large 
  extent, 
  his 
  own 
  force 
  of 
  character 
  and 
  

   'fitness,' 
  cosmopolitan 
  assurance 
  and 
  ability, 
  enabling 
  him 
  to 
  succeed 
  

   like 
  his 
  relatives 
  — 
  the 
  Rooks, 
  Crows, 
  and 
  Jackdaws. 
  General 
  

   favourite 
  though 
  he 
  be, 
  it 
  is, 
  in 
  our 
  opinion, 
  a 
  question 
  whether 
  

   his 
  good 
  qualities 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  found 
  wanting 
  in 
  the 
  balance 
  of 
  good 
  

   and 
  evil, 
  a 
  result 
  following 
  upon 
  the 
  force 
  of 
  his 
  numbers 
  and 
  

   degree 
  of 
  his 
  assertiveness. 
  

  

  White 
  Starlings 
  are 
  occasionally 
  seen. 
  Two, 
  both 
  young 
  birds, 
  

   were 
  obtained 
  near 
  Forres, 
  and 
  passed 
  into 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  the 
  

   late 
  Macpherson-Grant. 
  

  

  Pastor 
  roseus 
  (L.). 
  Rose-coloured 
  Starling. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  north 
  of 
  our 
  area 
  one 
  was 
  obtained 
  near 
  Dunrobin 
  in 
  1884, 
  

   and 
  Gray 
  remarks 
  that 
  this 
  species 
  has 
  occurred 
  near 
  Dingwall 
  in 
  

   several 
  instances. 
  One 
  figures 
  in 
  Macleay's 
  ledgers 
  as 
  having 
  been 
  

   obtained 
  at 
  Fort 
  Augustus 
  on 
  August 
  18th, 
  1855. 
  Another 
  was 
  

   sent 
  to 
  Snowie 
  the 
  following 
  year. 
  

  

  St. 
  John 
  shot 
  a 
  Rose-coloured 
  Pastor 
  at 
  Loch 
  Spynie 
  on 
  June 
  

   21st, 
  1851, 
  apparently 
  an 
  adult 
  ; 
  it 
  was 
  flying 
  in 
  company 
  with 
  two 
  

   other 
  Starlings. 
  In 
  that 
  year 
  several 
  others 
  were 
  obtained 
  in 
  

   various 
  parts 
  of 
  our 
  island 
  (Zoologist, 
  3233). 
  

  

  Edward 
  says 
  : 
  — 
  ' 
  This 
  is 
  another 
  rare 
  beauty 
  occasionally 
  seen 
  

   in 
  the 
  county' 
  of 
  Banff. 
  (It 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  said 
  to 
  present 
  rare 
  

   beauty 
  in 
  the 
  adult 
  stage 
  of 
  plumage.) 
  One 
  bird 
  was 
  reported 
  to 
  

   Mr. 
  George 
  Sim 
  of 
  Aberdeen 
  as 
  having 
  been 
  shot 
  at 
  Banff, 
  and 
  

  

  