PROCEEDINGS OF THE PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
249 
always command admiration—are not unfrequent visitors 
to my oaks and beeches, and sometimes actually come into 
the house. Rabbits are rather too common, and though they 
do not make burrows, yet they take up their abode and 
make themselves quite at home. Though it is interesting 
to see the young ones playing on the grass, it is not quite 
so amusing when an old rabbit makes its summer quarters 
in the midst of a collection of alpine plants. Hares are 
less abundant, but every now and then one appears, 
though it does not stay very long. Of the smaller animals 
the common shrew and long-tailed field mouse are the 
commonest, though at the same time they keep pretty well 
out of sight. A much rarer creature is the red field vole, 
and though I cannot be quite certain about its identity, I 
feel convinced that a vole I saw running about one day in 
my “ herbaceous border ’’ belonged to this species. The 
red field-vole is of very local occurrence (or has been over¬ 
looked) in Perthshire. I know of only two other localities 
for it. 
The remaining two species which have occurred within 
the municipal boundaries are denizens of the Tay, and only 
occasionally come up the river so high as Perth Bridge. 
One—the common seal—is perhaps not very rare, but the 
other—the common porpoise—is seldom seen. The mam¬ 
mals of the district which so far as known have not ven¬ 
tured within the town’s boundaries—though at the same 
time it is very probable that three out of the five may 
occasionally or even commonly do so—are the mole, 
weasel, and stoat; the fox, which has been seen in the 
woods; and the roe-deer. 
We now pass on to the birds. Ornithology not being a 
special study of mine, I regret that it is impossible on this 
occasion to say how many species have actually occurred 
in the district. At the same time I do not think I am far 
wrong in stating that the number is about 65. Of these I 
am certain of 45, thus leaving 20 whose occurrence, though 
we cannot at present vouch for them, is yet extremely 
probable. The birds which nest in the district are at least 
34. 
As in the case of the mammals, we will devote more 
particular attention to the species which have been seen 
within the town boundaries, and I may again say that it is 
in my own garden that most, if not all, of these have been 
noticed—chiefly no doubt for the reason that that spot of 
ground has been naturally more subjected to observation 
on my part, but perhaps also because some pains have 
been taken to protect and encourage the feathered visitors 
thereto. Some people who have gardens are rather doubt¬ 
ful as to the expediency of encouraging birds, since their 
fruit must suffer thereby to a greater or less extent. But 
such persons must forget that if birds take a little fruit, 
they more than compensate for their depredations by the 
numbers of injurious insects that they consume ; and that 
moreover it is quite possible to protect the fruit without 
killing the birds. Apart altogether from the positive 
benefits arising from the presence of birds in a garden, a 
great amonnt of pleasure may be derived from them. 
Throughout the whole year the presence of these active 
and many-coloured creatures imparts a sense of life to the 
scene. Flitting from tree to tree, hopping about the 
grass, or diligently searching amongst the taller plants in 
a flower border, each bird by its different habits provides 
an endless and ever-pleasurable subject for study and 
observation. And then, on a fine morning or evening id 
spring or early summer, how delightful it is to listen to 
the medley of sweet voices ringing from every bush and 
tree. 
The most notable of our songsters are the blackbird and 
the thrush. Of these the former is exceedingly abundant; 
and while the latter is not rare, yet its numbers were con¬ 
siderably reduced by the severe winters we had a few 
years ago. Blackbirds with some white feathers are not 
very rare. I used to see one that had two or three of its 
tail feathers white, and at Barnhill (which is, however, 
beyond the municipal boundaries) there were for several 
years a number of blackbirds very much marked with 
white. Both species nest in my garden. The missel- 
thrush, on the other hand, I have seen only in winter. 
Some tall holly trees seem to be the attraction, as one or 
more of the birds are constantly feeding on the berries. 
The red-breast—or, as it is more often called, the robin,— 
as usual makes itself quite at home, not only coming into 
the house, but being bold enough—with a little encourage¬ 
ment—even to pick up crumbs out of one’s hand. Fre¬ 
quently, when writing in the garden, a robin has come 
and hopped about the spars of the chair on which I have 
been sitting; and whenever any gardening operations are 
being done, a robin is sure to approach to see what is 
going on. The willow wren is another common bird, and, 
in company with the robin, frequently makes its nest in 
my rock garden. It has not, however, the robin’s fearless¬ 
ness, as it shows considerable hesitation in entering its 
nest while anyone is looking on, and hops about from 
bush to bush, longing yet fearing to convey to its young 
ones the choice caterpillar it has in its beak. Let the 
spectator, however, turn his back for a moment, and the 
shrill cries of the nestlings tell that the mother bird has 
darted into the nest. Another pleasing bird is the hedge- 
sparrow, with its modest garb of brown tinged with blue. 
Its neat nest is not very rare, while the bird itself delights 
