160 



BIRDS. 



it comes to us in very considerable abundance. Of late years also it 

 has developed more and more inclination to remain later into the 

 summer, as will be seen below, and we know that the species has of 

 late nested again in the southern districts of Scotland (Forth). It 

 usually visits us between October and November, and stays on till 

 January or February (but see below). 



Col. Drummond Hay speaks of it as of such common occurrence 

 as not to require special treatment or any attempt to enter into 

 details. Of course he refers to autumn and winter occurrences only. 

 However, he suggests the probability of its having at one time nested 

 in the Black AVood of Eannoch, but I have been unable to gather any 

 proof or indications of the fact. I certainly looked for "borings," 

 but found none on Crosscraig, on which property there is still a con- 

 siderable portion of the old wood remaining. 



Of its migrations we may consider that 1868 appeared to be a 

 record year, and that a "rush" of the species took place along our 

 eastern seaboard (vide Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glas., vol. i. p. 237, 

 December; and Zool., 1869, p. 1512). 



In the Scots Magazine (vol. Ixxix. p. 95), occurs a passage which 

 is of sufficient interest to be quoted fully. It is as follows : — 



"Greater Spotted Woodpecker (Picus majm; L.) — Specimen shot 

 by the gamekeeper at Melville House, in Fife, near the beginning of 

 February. It appears that a few pairs breed yearly in the old woods 

 of Melville and Eankeillor." The individual shot in February was 

 a male of full size in perfect plumage. The above note is signed 

 "N., Canonmills, 25th Feb. 1817 " : i.e. Neil (ex sl MS. index, prepared 

 for me by Mr. P. Grimshaw, of the Natural History Notices in the 

 Scots Magazine). 



There is one in the Museum at St. Andrews with the inscription 

 —"Dr. Hill, Boarhills, 24th September 1868," and another, "C. 

 Duncan, Killocks Den, 3rd October 1868." This, as indicated above, 

 was a year of an unusual rush. And two more are recorded from the 

 Glen Woods, Forfar, shot by the keeper the same autumn, and were 

 male and female. These are now in the Castle of Drumtochty. 



But the more interesting account of the occurrence of a pair of 

 birds at the last-named locality, is as follows: — "Eeferring to a 

 former communication, Mr. J. Milne writes under date of June 24, 

 1904: 'The pair of Great Spotted W^oodpeckers that were first 

 observed in the Glen Woods in Dec. 20, 1903, are still at work 

 amongst the dead trees. One of them was seen near the kennels 

 hammering away at a lime-tree on June 5.' " 



