120 



BIRDS. 



about three miles from my house in Stirlingshire. The birds were 

 seen in the month of April, many years ago, at close quarters, but I 

 have long since given up the idea in absence of further evidence 

 (Forth). Booth's record may be all right, but distinct evidence is 

 awanting, in absence of any corroborative news since. 



Mr. W. Evans relates that he "heard a bird-voice like a 

 Brambling's in high beech- trees in Drummond Hill Wood on 25th 

 July 1887, but did not succeed in seeing the bird."^ 



I may be allowed to mention here that, since our volume upon 

 Argyll appeared, Bramblings have decidedly penetrated further 

 M'cst than there was then any record of ; as, for instance, in flocks 

 at Loch Awe, and even in single specimens as far west as Mull and 

 Islay by 1905. 



Indeed, to my fancy, there would appear to be a further westering 

 of these autumn-winter migratory flocks quite within my own remem- 

 brance, and actual notes taken. Whether this indicates greater 

 congestion at their northern breeding haunts, I cannot say with any 

 power of proof : only may one be allowed to put two and two together 

 from parallel evidences regarding other species. I can only say : 

 " I think so." 2 



Mr. M'Connochie writes of this species : " Comes every October 

 or thereb}". Common about the beech-trees, and remains well on till 

 April." 



From any accounts I have received, it does not appear to occur 

 at all abundantly in north-east Fife ; indeed by some it is marked 

 as of even doubtful occurrence at all. 



Linota cannabina (L.). Linnet. 

 Old Gaelic name, Gealan-liu. 



Resident. Common. Breeds. General. 



Common, not only in places along our roadsides and on grounds 

 bordering our moss and moor lands, in summer, but in winter flocking 

 largely on our farm lands, searching industriously wherever the seeds 

 of many weeds and sorrel-seeds are found in waste places. Thus it is 

 most in evidence on the poorer sorts of soil on hill farms, or on dirty 



^ The Greenfinches' "ssss" note is very like the spring note of the Brambling, as I 

 have often heard it in Norway and north of Europe ; and I can very well remember 

 being struck by the resemblance at home, immediately after returning from Norway in 

 1871. Mr. Evans added: "Had I heard it in winter I would have set it do^m 

 unhesitatingly to a Brambling's. " 



2 The greater the congestion, the stronger the outburst. 



