70 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



WRYNECK, lynx torquilla, Linnaeus. Has several times occurred 

 in East Lothian, and once or twice upon the Northumberland coast, 

 within fifteen or twenty miles of Berwick, but I know of no nearer 

 record. 



KINGFISHER, Alcedo ispida, Linnaeus. In spite of the risks he 

 runs at the hands of nearly every person carrying a gun, the beautiful 

 Kingfisher still manages to maintain a footing in the neighbouring 

 district, and breeds intermittently by the side of many of the Border 

 streams. We have his presence at the mouth of the Whitadder, and 

 on the Tweed, almost every autumn, and in winter I have occasionally 

 met with single birds frequenting the rocks along the sea shore. A 

 Kingfisher may sometimes be seen, exposed for sale, in the windows 

 of the game shops in the town. 



ROLLER, Coracias garrula, Linnaeus. Has frequently occurred 

 in Northumberland, where I have examined several recently killed 

 examples, generally young birds, obtained rather late in September. 

 An adult male frequented the road, where it crosses the Carter Fell, 

 for about a week previous to 4th July 1889, on which date it was 

 shot by Job Simpson, gamekeeper to Mr. Pawson, at White Lee. It 

 was in beautiful plumage, but on dissection the generative organs 

 were found to be in a diseased state. A female was shot by Mr. 

 Peter Cowe, at Scremerston Town farm, only a mile or two beyond 

 the limits of the Borough, on 22nd September 1875, an d is still in 

 his possession. It was shot from a " stock," in a stubble field, and 

 when opened, the stomach was found to be filled with beetles. 

 ("Hist. Berw. Nat. Club," vii. p. 500.) 



BEE-EATER, Merops apiaster, Linnaeus. In The Field newspaper 

 of May 1897, Mr. C. J. Leyland writes that he saw a specimen at 

 Haggerston Castle, about eight miles south of Berwick, on 2gth 

 April in that year, "and was able to observe it for some time." 



HOOPOE, Upupa epops, Linnaeus. A casual visitant, on migration, 

 and has frequently occurred upon both sides of the Border, both in 

 spring and autumn, most of the occurrences being not far from the 

 coast. The records nearest to Berwick, of which I have any note, 

 are: Holy Island (more than once); Beal (8th November 1887 

 a rather unusually late date, but one, perhaps the same bird, was 

 killed at Bamburgh about a week later) ; Scremerston ; Grindon 

 (September 1880); Eyemouth (May 1879, etc.); and Mr. Muirhead 

 mentions others at Lamb's Mill, on the Whitadder (in July, about 

 1844); and on Lamberton Moor (September 1883). Some of 

 these localities are only very slightly outside our Parliamentary 

 boundary. 



CUCKOO, Cnculus canorus, Linnaeus. Immature examples of this 

 well-known summer visitor may be seen, with some regularity, about 

 gardens in the town, or flying over the houses, in August and 



