BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 147 
Siffi ^"8*^* •'f Annan parish 
thn:ty odd years ago. I„ the Zoologist of 1878 (p. 427) 
tte L "^"l: '"^^^ ''^"'•^^^^ °f Starhngs during 
!nd H t "'i''""*'"'^ y*'^'^ '^^^ most marked 
f f j'^ observer. . . . The 
rLarkr.nd r '..*'^' ^^^^^^ '^^^ Pl--« f-q-nld 
by Larks, and when there, from what I have seen of their 
every nest they fall m with I observe Mr. R Grav 
i8of thesameopmion,for m the Proceedings of the Na^uZ 
H^story Society of Glasgow (Vol. I., Part 1 r, iTt 
Skylark and other birds building on the ground the nests 
of which were rifled of their contents, evfn when The el 
"ustrrS: ^T^' "^^'^ ""^^ obLveV'g 
ment, but Mr. R. Service stuck to his point ; and I am 
StaZ " ''''' ^^"^ that'^ertainLl dS 
Starlmgs inay be nest-robbers, and I believe that thk 
thieving ,s the more general in dry springs 
A great immigration of Skylarks takes place at the end 
of February m March and in April, and a return em grXf 
«rs ottr; '"'S'^^^'^g *° '^^^ winter- 
quarters, others from further north are making their winter- 
homes with us. In March, 1838, it is recorded thT" ! 
migration of Larks from Scotland to the English side of tht 
Solway was noticed by fishermen at sea on a misty nlht 
Caerlaverock has any such origin 
beheve that adders fascinate Larks-a prevalent behef not 
* Dumfries Courier, March 28th, 1838, 
L 2 
