146 TRANSACTIONS-PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
being got on the high water-shed of the Tummel. It is exceedingly 
rare to find this bird nesting so far inland. Another nest of the same 
bird was taken in Argyleshire, but still within the Tay District, by 
Lieut-Col. Campbell, to whom the Society is indebted for many rare 
and interesting nests. To the Dowager Duchess of Atholl we are 
indebted for the nest and eggs of the Osprey, probably the last that 
will ever be got in Perthshire. Our thanks are due to Mr. Atholl 
Macgregor of Eastwood for his exertions in securing this nest, and 
also for other acquisitions got in the neighbourhood of Dunkeld. I 
may here mention in passing that the Osprey’s nest is of so great a 
size—being four feet in diameter—that it was found impossible to 
place it in the regular nest cases. Room will, however, be found for 
it in a case by itself in the Index Museum, while a blank label is 
placed where it ought to occur in the series. 
As nests continued to accumulate after the first few years, it was 
found undesirable to stop them until such time as a good represen¬ 
tative collection was formed. These had to be arranged temporarily 
in the cases in the old Museum pretty much according to size, until 
proper accommodation could be provided for them. M hen the new 
building was erected a great amount of care and thought were 
bestowed on the designing and construction of the nest cases, in order 
that the late Dr. Buchanan White’s original idea might be properly 
and systematically carried out. 
It was found from experience that many of the nests sent in with 
moss, turf, and other surroundings, soon dried up and lost their 
distinctive characters. When this happened it was apt to give a 
false impression that these dried-up surroundings formed part of the 
structure of the nest itself. Therefore, previous to the rearrangement 
of the collection, it was necessary to devise some plan whereby the 
natural appearance and individuality of each would be preserved. 
The solution of the difficulty was suggested to me by the arrangement 
of an Oystercatcher’s nest composed of stones, set down with cement 
in its natural form, and enclosed in an open square box, which had 
been sent to the Museum some years previously by Mr. Atholl 
Macgregor. The idea struck me that if each nest were contained in 
a similar box or tray, constructed of some light wood, and concealed 
with the earth from the turf, so as to give it the appearance of the 
turf itself, the surroundings softened and spread out, and, when 
required, made up with a little additional moss, etc., the object might 
be attained. This was tried, great care being taken to use only the 
materials of which the surroundings were composed, the nest itself 
being left entirely untouched, as found, so that the whole might be 
as nearly as possible a copy of nature. 
Having from boyhood been well acquainted with our native nests. 
