﻿BIKDS. 
  

  

  115 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  searched 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  old 
  pine 
  forests 
  in 
  "Dee" 
  

   with 
  a 
  view 
  to 
  finding 
  whether 
  the 
  Woodpecker 
  had 
  at 
  any 
  

   time 
  bred 
  in 
  the 
  district. 
  By 
  the 
  kind 
  permission 
  of 
  the 
  

   late 
  Sir 
  William 
  Brooks, 
  Bart., 
  the 
  forest 
  of 
  Glen 
  Tanner 
  was 
  

   carefully 
  searched, 
  under 
  the 
  guidance 
  of 
  Duncan 
  MacKenzie, 
  

   who 
  knows 
  where 
  the 
  oldest 
  trees 
  are, 
  but 
  no 
  trace 
  of 
  the 
  bird 
  

   ever 
  having 
  been 
  there 
  now 
  remains, 
  if 
  ever 
  such 
  existed 
  ; 
  

   nor 
  are 
  there 
  any 
  traditions 
  among 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  any 
  such 
  

   bird 
  being 
  known 
  there. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Account 
  of 
  the 
  Parish 
  of 
  Birse, 
  as 
  it 
  appears 
  in 
  

   the 
  0. 
  8. 
  A., 
  vol. 
  ix., 
  p. 
  108, 
  among 
  the 
  resident 
  birds 
  are 
  

   mentioned 
  " 
  Woodpeckers 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  and 
  lesser 
  kinds 
  ; 
  " 
  but 
  

   this 
  statement 
  cannot 
  be 
  taken 
  as 
  evidence 
  of 
  the 
  bird's 
  

   presence, 
  for 
  it 
  is 
  quite 
  plain 
  the 
  compiler 
  of 
  the 
  list 
  was 
  not 
  

   acquainted 
  with 
  zoological 
  matters. 
  

  

  Gray 
  says 
  : 
  " 
  This 
  Woodpecker 
  is 
  known 
  to 
  breed 
  in 
  limited 
  

   numbers 
  in 
  Banffshire, 
  Aberdeenshire, 
  and 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  Inver- 
  

   ness-shire. 
  I 
  have 
  examined 
  specimens 
  that 
  were 
  shot 
  in 
  

   these 
  counties 
  during 
  the 
  breeding 
  season 
  of 
  1867-68." 
  It 
  is 
  

   unfortunate 
  that 
  Mr. 
  Gray 
  did 
  not 
  think 
  fit 
  to 
  be 
  more 
  

   precise 
  in 
  this 
  matter, 
  stating 
  where 
  these 
  specimens 
  were 
  

   shot 
  and 
  who 
  shot 
  them, 
  and 
  what 
  evidence 
  was 
  brought 
  

   forward 
  as 
  to 
  their 
  having 
  been 
  bred 
  within 
  the 
  counties 
  

   named. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  George 
  Sim, 
  Fyvie, 
  informs 
  me 
  that 
  " 
  the 
  Spotted 
  

   Woodpecker 
  used 
  to 
  breed 
  beside 
  the 
  Old 
  Castle 
  of 
  Gight. 
  

   The 
  female 
  was 
  caught 
  on 
  the 
  nest, 
  which 
  was 
  within 
  an 
  old 
  

   tree," 
  and 
  was 
  seen 
  by 
  him 
  while 
  yet 
  in 
  the 
  flesh. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  winter 
  of 
  1889 
  over 
  a 
  dozen 
  were 
  sent 
  to 
  me 
  

   from 
  various 
  parts 
  of 
  " 
  Dee." 
  

  

  [Picus 
  viridis, 
  Linn. 
  Green 
  Woodpecker. 
  

  

  " 
  Was 
  seen 
  in 
  1847 
  at 
  Nellfield 
  ; 
  and 
  in 
  1850, 
  one 
  was 
  

   procured 
  at 
  Arthur's 
  Seat." 
  (J. 
  Taylor, 
  Naturalist, 
  vol. 
  hi., 
  

   p. 
  140.) 
  The 
  above-named 
  places 
  are 
  within 
  the 
  city 
  of 
  

   Aberdeen. 
  

  

  Gray, 
  in 
  his 
  Birds 
  of 
  the 
  West 
  of 
  Scotland, 
  p. 
  189, 
  says 
  : 
  

   " 
  In 
  1868, 
  Mr. 
  Hunter 
  of 
  Tillery 
  had 
  seen 
  a 
  single 
  bird 
  in 
  the 
  

   woods 
  near 
  his 
  residence." 
  Tillery 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  county 
  of 
  

   Aberdeen.] 
  

  

  