264 



BIRDS. 



At Blackport (Tay) they seem to have been established for some 

 j^ears, and were nesting commonly in rocky slopes and precipices at 

 Cardney (fide Atholl Macgregor). No doubt he was bearing in 

 remembrance the original records as given above, Cardney not being 

 very far removed from the site of the earliest record (sup'o). 



The trend of their advances appears to have been for the most 

 part from the south-west and south and south-east — or, more 

 generally, from south to north between Forth and Clyde and the 

 north of Perthshire, but centrally and strongly, rather from south- 

 west to north-east. Whilst the earliest accounts of its breeding 

 reached us from inland localities in the centre of Perth by, say, from 

 1875 to 1878, the greatest increase was evident in the eastern Carse- 

 lands in winter, and then they appear to have penetrated first to 

 suitable nesting haunts more inland as the breeding season advanced. 

 It is seen at the present day that they return to the better feeding 

 of the Carse-lands as autumn advances and the breeding season 

 passes by. Though this is so, however, they do not penetrate far to 

 the west yet, if indeed they ever will} 



As I have incidentally taken notice of, Mr. James Dufius, pro- 

 fessional pigeon-shot, Pickletillum, Fife, remembers sending one to 

 the British Museum for identification about 1883. But they did not 

 appear there in any force till about 1892. (Compare with my notes 

 in Moray volume, p. 127, and Mr. W. Berry, Tayfield, Fife, adds 

 evidence to the same effect.) There are, however, a few stray records 

 from further inland localities in Fife as far as Blair Adam, near 

 Kinross (Forth), etc. I ask the question: Did these come from 

 still further inland or more south-western localities ? We have earlier 

 — indeed, amongst the earliest — accounts of their nesting from much 

 higher up the firth, viz. at Culross and Tullieallan {and. Mr. J. J. 

 Dalgleish, 1878). (At this place also compare the accounts given in 

 our Moray volumes.) 



At the present time, and during the last five years or more^ a 

 very decided increase in these nesting birds has taken place inland, 

 and indeed these Stock-Doves bid fair almost to supersede the Wood- 

 Pigeon. I refer most directly to these central districts of Scotland, 

 ^ Food inducements are not so great there as to induce any but stragglers, or those 

 which may be forced by great congestion, to strike out to the west. I therefore always, 

 as yet, have looked upon records from the wilder west as scarcely to be seriously accepted 

 without absolute proofs. Thus, as yet, I hear nothing but negatives from Glen Ogle in 

 the south-west, though, if once found out by the birds, I see no reason why a certain 

 proportion should not find sufficient accommodation both in nesting sites and in food 

 supply. (See under species in Fauna of North- West HifjMands and Skye.) 



