BIRDS. 



169 



The old Statistical Account has notices of it in the parishes already 

 often quoted — Moulin, Weem, Monzie, Killin. 



Col. Drummond Hay says that there was a decided decrease 

 in numbers of this familiar bird in the Carse of Gowrie and in the 

 lower Strathearn valley, and he associated this decrease with "that 

 abominable invention the pole-trap " ; and he further relates that "an 

 admission had been made of one hundred Cuckoos having been taken 

 in a single season in one neighbourhood alone by this means ! " The 

 Colonel also relates an amusing story how an inquisitive tourist got 

 trapped in one of those pole-traps ! 



Horn records Cuckoos seen at Killiechassie as late as 5th October 

 1877 {in lit. to me, and in his article before quoted) ; and I was able 

 in 1880 to verify the accuracy of his previous note, by seeing on the 

 7th or 8th October one Cuckoo certain, when shooting the covers above 

 the house. 



It was reported abundant on Tay generally by Mr. W. Evans in 

 1887. 



And common in the north-east by Mr. Milne in 1896. 



But generally it is reported as less abundant in the lower-lying 

 lands than in the middle and upper valleys in 1904. 



Evidence of the late stay of the Cuckoo may be found also given by 

 Mr. J. W. Payne {Zool, 1903, pp. 351-2 ; and Zool Record, 1903, p. 25). 



Again, in 1905, in all the valleys of the south-west of Tay I met 

 with Cuckoos in unusual abundance, seeing as many as four at the 

 same time flying over Tyndrum Station, and hearing one of these birds 

 distinctly utter the treble note, which I cannot remember ever hearing 

 before so early in the year, viz. the 20th May. In the north-west, 

 however, I did not find Cuckoos so much in evidence, i.e. after the 

 cold weather again set in — and this recurrence of cold east winds was 

 quite likely sufficient to account for the fact. 



It may be possible that some of this abnormal increase of Cuckoos 

 is due to a more restricted use of the pole-trap ; but I cannot put 

 much faith in that as the principal reason, and I am more inclined to 

 account for such by some seasonal peculiarity, acting probably in the 

 same way as regards abnormal increases of certain other species I 

 have already referred to. 



Account says : "It seldom appears before the beginning of May ; and often its arrival 

 is announced by cold blasts from the north, and showers of snow, which are considered 

 as auspicious omens of the approaching summer. This temporary vigour of the weather 

 is called as above by the people." (This is very general in Scotland ; I know of it in 

 many places from Kirkcudbright northwards as far as Banff.) 



