BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 27 
(Kirkmahoe), so Mr. Norman Maclachlan informs me. In 
the littoral parishes and those adjoining them it would 
appear fairly well distributed, and Mr. P. A. Pasley-Dirom 
writes to me in 1908 : " When I was a boy I have often 
seen great numbers arrive in the Manse garden at Kirk- 
patrick-Fleming, and I have occasionally seen them of late 
here " {i.e., Mount Annan). From Eskdale I have no 
reports of this species, and elsewhere in the county it 
would seem to be of extremely sparse distribution. In 
Upper Nithsdale this bird is rare, but I have eggs taken 
from Strathmilhgan Wood (Tynron) on May 31st, 1905. 
Mr. N. E. Douglas-Menzies, of Newtonairds (Holywood), 
writes me :— " Last year {i.e., 1907), for the first time there 
was a small colony of Chiffchaffs here. . . . The nest, 
entered at the side of the top, was made almost entirely from 
delicate fronds of fern and soft feather-lining, and the three 
nests which I found had their entrances facing south, and were 
all in small spruce trees, about three feet from the ground." 
In 1908 the Chiff chaffs again returned to the same locaHty. 
This species arrives in our county in the latter half of 
April, and leaves us again in September. 
The distinctions between this and the two following 
species have thus been summarized by Mr. J. E. Harting : 
" I have come to the conclusion that, as regards the wings, 
the following formulae may be relied on (the first primary 
is quite rudimentary and is therefore not taken into 
consideration) : Chiffchafif, second primary = seventh ; 
third, fourth, fifth and sixth with outer web sloped off 
towards the extremity. Willow- Wren, second = sixth ; 
third, fourth and fifth sloped off. Wood- Wren, second = 
fourth ; third and fourth sloped off."* The nest of the 
Wood- Wren is not lined with feathers : that of the Willow- 
Wren (though like the Chiffchaff's with a copious feather- 
lining) is usually built on the ground, but not above it, as 
is the custom of the latter. As regards the call-note, the 
regular repeated dissyllabic " chiff-chaff " (to my ear more 
* Handbook Brit. Birds, 1901, pp. 56, 57. 
