BIRDS. 



73 



1886. My correspondent resident in east Fife only found a few 

 pairs at that time (MS. in my possession). 



Although not by any means common either in the Arbroath 

 district (Dr. F. T. Dewar, in his list supplied, and most carefully anno- 

 tated MS.), it is nevertheless known to occur by no means rarely at 

 the Bell Rock Lighthouse on migration at the season of the autumn 

 passage. It is rare, too, in other parts of Forfarshire to the east of 

 the watersheds of South Esk with the Tay, and also throughout 

 the eastei^n districts of Fifeshire. 



Mr. Godfrey noted it only at one locality in the south-west, 

 viz. in Glen Beithe, near the head of Loch Earn, in 1903; but 

 in the following summer he found a decided increase, and it was 

 fairly abundant or fairly distributed in at least two localities in 

 Edinchip, and in two others in Glen Ogle, whilst it had also taken up 

 quarters near to the top of Glen Beithe, and between Glen Beithe and 

 St. Fillans at the foot of Loch Earn. It seemed here also to be of 

 slow progression for a long time, until a fair start appears to have 

 been made at these dates. 



In 1896 Mr. J. Milne received eggs from Drumtochty Glen, and 

 these are the first he had obtained (8th June 1896). 



In 1902 Mr. Godfrey tells me he was credibly informed '"of its 

 presence in summer at Dunan," but did not meet with any himself. 

 (Compare these Tay notes generally with our account of the advance 

 of the species in the west of Scotland and thence down the Spey 

 valley. See the volumes on Argyll and Moray, and also under 

 species in my last volume on the North- West Highlands and 

 Skye.) 



Careful further inquiry reveals the fact that the Redstart is 

 somewhat peculiar in its dispersal and its lines of advance, as may 

 be gathered from careful perusal of the volumes above referred to. 



"Fairly common summer resident through the district around 

 Ruthven, and breeds there " (aud. J. Davidson, 1904). 



Mr. W. Evans saw several in July 1887 about the Kenmore road ; 

 a pair between Kenmore and Aberfeldy ; but few were seen by him 

 in the same district in 1892. In May 1905 I kept a specially careful 

 eye upon this section, but met with none. They thus appear to 

 vary in numbers from season to season. 



Millais notes it as common. He had found it abundant in the 

 Dunkeld district during the autumn migration, and he adds that it 

 breeds "in some numbers." 



Mr. Malloch {viva voce) designated it as "swarming," or "quite 



