142 



BIRDS. 



Thousands come to Balganies Loch every evening to roost. They 

 rise with deafening noise, and the trees about are dark with innumer- 

 able birds. Flocks may be seen several miles off, lar^e and small, 

 converging about sunset." 



From north-east Fife the same story is repeated. Mr. Berwick 

 says : " Common ; very rare fifty years ago." 



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



Rare. Occasional visitant. The old Statistical Account mentions the 

 occurrence of one at Dunkeld (vol. xx. p. 457). 



"There have been several occurrences, but none of late years," 

 says Col. Drummond Hay, writing in 1887-8. 



Mr. Horn then gives a record of a Rose-coloured Pastor obtained 

 at Dunkeld on 27th September 1831. This may well refer to those 

 mentioned above. 



Then Col. Drummond Hay gives several instances in the Carse of 

 Gowrie which are worthy of transcript, viz. one in full rose-coloured 

 plumage was shot near Megginch in August 1832 ; and another just 

 ten years later, i.e. in 1842, and this was also in full dress. At the 

 same spot another; and under exactly similar circumstances, yet 

 another was got a year or two after this. Yet one more again at the 

 same place was obtained early in October. Again, seven or eight 

 years ago Col. Drummond Hay felt sure he saw a young plumaged 

 bird of this species " coming from the reed-beds of Mugdrum Island." 

 This would be about 1879 or 1880. 



The above curious recurrence of these birds at the same spot or 

 the immediate vicinity, and about the same time of year, I think 

 bears more than ordinary interest. Taking this example and many 

 others of such recurrences of birds of the same species or of others, and 

 comparing a large series of similar phenomena which can be collated 

 from our regular records all over Britain, etc., who shall say that 

 there is no line of migrational flights of species over well-known paths 

 or across well-viewed valleys or forests or hills ? Also, who can say 

 with much certainty — or any, for that part of it — that birds have not 

 a power of vision of which we have not the slightest conception ? 

 Or that this power of vision is not a strong factor in most migrational 

 efforts in influencing their dispersal and subsequent distribution as 

 residents and nesting species 1 As G-atke has often repeated, " Only 

 when clouds obscure their vision from aloft do they descend where 

 fog lies over land to seek a resting-place for the soles of their feet," 

 or words to that effect. In times too when gales of wind bear them 



