0072 



Birds, 



fixed amongst the branches of a holly. The bottom was out, so that 

 the nest could be all seen. There were young in the nest when I 

 found it. The wren, like other birds, does not sing so well in con- 

 finement. When in their native haunts, there is a pathos in their 

 voice and a music in their melody that make the heart thrill with 

 pleasure. 



Hoopoe (Upupa epops). Three or four of these pretty birds have 

 occurred here : one was taken at Duff House, in 1832, by a Mr. 

 Mackay, in such a state of exhaustion as to allow itself to be captured 

 by hand ; another was seen by myself, a few years back, in the same 

 place ; and two others are said to have been since obtained in other 

 parts of the county. 



Cuckoo (Cuculiis canorus). This is another sweet and darling 

 gem. Well do T remember, when only a little fellow, rummaging 

 about the Den of Rubislaw, near Aberdeen, how surprised I was on 

 hearing the sound of " Cuckoo, cuckoo," from a small plantation close 

 by, and how overjoyed I was when I obtained a sight of the bird ; 

 and now that I am old the sweet voice of the harbinger of sunny days 

 still cheers me. They are not very numerous with us along the sea- 

 coast, but are more frequent towards the higher districts. They 

 generally appear about the end of April. It is said that they can 

 retain their eggs for a number of days after they are ready for extru- 

 sion. I will relate, without comment, a circumstance of this sort 

 which came under my own observation : — A female specimen, shot in 

 a garden here, was brought to me to be preserved. On dissecting it 

 I was agreeably surprised at finding in the oviduct an egg as perfect 

 as if it had been obtained from a nest. 



Roller (Coracias garrula). I am only aware of one specimen of 

 this pretty and rare bird being obtained in our county ; it was a most 

 splendid specimen, killed on the hills of Boyndie, by Mr. J. Brown, 

 gamekeeper to R. C. Nisbet, Esq. 



Bee-eater (Merops apiaster). I give this species a place here from 

 having heard that a greenish bird, somewhat less than a thrush, with 

 a longish bent bill, and with two feathers of the tail longer than the 

 rest, was killed in a garden between Huntly and Duff town, about 

 seven years ago. 



Thomas Edward. 



(To be continued). 



