BIRDS. 



123 



The other parish in which the species is mentioned is Perth, but 

 without any remarks (vol. viii. p. 648). The Bullfinch shortly be- 

 came abundant, but after a series of years again became scarce. In 

 the lower parts of the country, about 18S0, it declined in numbers. 

 It formerly bred numerously at the west end of the Carse of Gowrie, 

 but by ISSO, says Col. Drummond Hay, ''practically extinct, due to 

 the Perth bird-catchers and to the raids by gardeners," as they 

 '* supposed that they did much injury to their fruit-trees.'"' Then 

 Col. Drummond Hay, with the true instincts of the naturalist, pro- 

 ceeds to illustrate how a largely disbudded tree (a pear") *'bore 

 a finer crop than any other fruit-tree in the garden, the buds that 

 were destroyed having been affected by caterpillar, and so leaving 

 the buds which remained to perfect their fruit in security." (See 

 also much evidence in support of the contention from observed facts 

 in the Journal of Horticulture , voL iii. p. 15, and the Cottage Gardener's 

 Magazine of January 21, 1860, p. 277, by Mr. Robert Brent.) 



Mr. Milne has some interesting notes on the comparative abund- 

 ance or scarcity of the Bullfinch in his district. "Formerly," he 

 says, ''very abundant, but not so now . . . nor since January 1895 — 

 that severe winter having thinned their ranks. They nested in beech- 

 trees in Drumtochty Glen and at Monboddo.'' 



Godfrey did not find them very abundant at Eannoch side, but 

 they oc-cur in a fir wood on the shores of Loch Eigheach. This 

 locality is well up the Gower river and fringing upon the Moor 

 of Eannoch. 



Dr. Dewar seems uncertain of its breeding in his district^ nor can 

 we perhaps look for it there just yet. 



Mr. MHTonnochie has never met with any in his district, but he 

 adds that bird-catchers get them further to the north and north- 

 west. 



In north-east Fife it is regarded as resident, but far from being 

 common, by Mr. Berwick. 



In the south-west, say around Killin, the Bullfinch was found to be 

 fairly abundant by Mr. W. Evans in August 1905. At that time of 

 year — as I think I have elsewhere remarked — Bullfinches begin to 

 flock, and leaving the quieter retreats in the interior of the woods 

 come out upon the fringes and outskirts of the plantations and 

 coppices, etc. 



