148 



BIRDS. 



In north-east Fife Mr. John Gilmour spoke of it as " rare in that 

 part of the Kingdom of Fife," but as found in the north of that 

 county and on the borders of the adjoining county of Perth. 

 Dr. Walker (Scot. Nat., vol. i. p. 19), says: "This bird, which was 

 not uncommon at one time, has now become rare in the east of 

 Fife.-'' 



The above thus be found to bring up its history to about 

 thirty years ago, or say 1876. 



By 1877-8, generally stated to have become much reduced in 

 numbers in the lower districts ; but I agree with Mr. Horn as to its 

 rapid increase beyond Ballinluig and up the Tay, as, for instance, at 

 Aberfeldy, where I have myself been witness to the fact a little 

 later — say in 1882. Horn, when commenting on this increase, and 

 speaking of the Tay valley, does not pointedly refer to the sister valley 

 of the Tummel, but Col. Drummond Hay "found it far from being 

 so abundant as formerly ; I think, however, he was more especially 

 referring to the latter valley. This is interesting if correct, and I see 

 no reason to doubt the fact. The better-wooded areas are those 

 of Tay ; the Tummel and the Garry having also suitable hard-wood 

 coverts, but scarcely of such large extent as the parent stream, 

 though offering a quite good means of advance to Atholl. It may 

 prove interesting to watch its advance westwards from the upper end 

 of Loch Tay (we already know of its spreading northwards in Argyll, 

 but that extension seems to me to have come by a different route, and 

 more directly via Clyde). 



Now going once more to the north-east of our area, Don spoke of 

 it as common at Glamis as long ago as 1813, and also at Brigtown and 

 Kinettles, and as formerly unknown, and those seen as belonging to 

 a later arrival of the species. This is interesting if correct, which 

 there appears no reason to doubt. 



Nearer the time of my writing now I may give the following data. 

 Mr. Milne, in reply to my inquiries, tells me : "I have never heard 

 of the Jay occurring near Laurencekirk, and have not seen it in the 

 Fordoun district, so I am unable to say anything about it " (in lit., 

 5th November 1903). 



Mr. D. Dewar of Eemony — gamekeeper there for some forty years 

 — after mentioning the almost total extinction of the Magpie, said 

 that the Jay sur^dves because the woods are so dense as to afford 

 it cover between Dunkeld and Loch Tay. Perhaps they may have 

 become scarcer since March 1901, due to extra energy expended 

 in their destruction about that time : Macdonald of Cluny ha^-ing 



