BIRDS. 



69 



their surfaces, and another haunt is found in the rough-stane 

 dykes" of the "dryfields," where, even along the public roads, the 

 handsome males may be seen just after their arrival in spring flitting 

 along from one perch to another. It is least common on alluvial 

 plains, but even there may be locally met with. Not truly gregarious, 

 but "flighting" in numbers. In the north-east of Fife principally 

 observed near the coast or on the moorlands. 



The Wheatear certainly appeared to be unusually scarce in May 

 and June 1905 throughout the area. I observed them to be most 

 abundant in Glen Artney and Glen Turrit, but afterwards distinctly 

 scarce in other parts of Tay and Strathmore. Later information 

 from several correspondents agrees that of late years this species 

 has been getting rarer and rarer in this part. 



In autumn numbers appear previous to migrating along the sides 

 of the Tay estuary (Millais). 



In some localities their numbers appear to remain much the same 

 from year to year, and this is remarked upon by Mr. Charles 

 Mackintosh (Strathbraan), and others elsewhere. It is designated 

 "fairly common" about Guthrie by the Rev. Wm. M'Connochie. 



But though the Wheatear certainly appeared to me to be un- 

 usually scarce in May 1905, as above related, Wm. Evans speaks 

 of it as "common" in August of the same year; and he instances 

 "several on Craig Cailleach (one near the top) on 11th August; 

 Glen Lochay, 14th ; Loch na Lairige, 15th ; Cru Ben, 20th," etc. 



Saxicola deserti, Ruppell. Desert-Wheatear. 



Rare. Occasional visitant. Tay records the second specimen for Scot- 

 land and for Great Britain. The first one was obtained in Forth 

 at Alloa in November 1880, and was recorded in the Proc. Royal 

 Fhys, Soc. Edin., in 1881 (p. 453). 



I reproduce the original record of this Tay basin specimen as 

 given by Col. Drummond Hay, as the method of recording leaves 

 nothing to be desired. 



He exhibited the bird at a meeting of the Perthshire Society on 

 the 9th February 1888, and he recorded it in the Transactions of that 

 Society (vol. i. p. 90, in the session 1887-8). He then, for the 

 satisfaction of English ornithologists, exhibited it at a meeting of the 

 Zoological Society of London, and it was again recorded in the 

 pages of the Ibis in the April number of 1888. 



The original record is as follows : " The specimen now exhibited," 

 says Col. Drummond Hay, " was shot about half a mile east of 



