21 
INSES80BES. 
CONIBOSTBES. 
ALA TJDIDAE. 
The Sky-Lark ( Alauda arvensis). 
The familiar laverock is abundantly distributed. Some winters 
ago immense flocks of larks appeared during hard weather in 
some fields close to the town of Girvan. On rising from the 
ground, the cloud of birds appeared so dense as to obscure objects 
in the line of their flight. Large numbers were killed on the 
telegraph wires, and after the flocks passed it was found that 
many birds had been mutilated, their wings being torn off by 
the wires. 
The Wood-Lark (Alauda arborea). 
The late Rev. Dr Landsborough informed Mr Gray that he had 
found this species at Stevenston. It has never come directly 
under our own observation. Various records of its existence as a 
familiar Scottish species have from time to time been published, 
but many of these, it is to be feared, refer to some other bird. 
The wood lark, however, has certainly been found in many parts 
of Scotland, satisfactory instances of which are given in Mr 
Gray’s “Birds of the West of Scotland,”* etc. 
EMBEBIZI DAE. 
The Snow Bunting (Plectrophanes nivalis). 
A winter visitant only, occurring at times in solitary specimens 
along the coast. As a rule, it is much commoner on the shores 
of the east of Scotland. In April and May the birds assume the 
breeding plumage, which in the male contrasts strikingly with the 
sober tints of the hill sides, where small flocks are seen flitting in 
advance of any intruder on their haunts. 
The Common Bunting (Ernberiza miliaria). 
Very abundant in both counties, especially near the coast 
between Girvan and the borders of Kirkcudbrightshire. Mr Gray 
has observed it to be particularly common in the southern districts 
of Wigtownshire, where the pasture lands are irregularly broken 
with protruding masses of rock. 
The Black-headed Bunting (Ernberiza schoeniculus). 
Common, and generally distributed. It breeds in some num- 
* In the press, and will shortly he published. 
