78 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



GREY PLOVER, Squatarola helvetica (Linnaeus). A regular 

 autumn and winter visitant ; not unfrequent in September and 

 October about the mouth of the Tweed, and on the beach at the back 

 of the pier ; often singly, but sometimes in parties of half a dozen 

 together. These are mostly young birds, as shown by their much- 

 spotted plumage, and the yellow tints on the tertials and upper parts. 

 On the adjoining coast, especially towards Holy Island, the bird 

 commonly remains throughout the winter, and I have there shot 

 examples in the much plainer plumage of maturity. Occasionally it 

 lingers till late in spring, or perhaps we are then visited by birds 

 which have wintered farther south, and are on their return journey 

 northwards ; and at this season I have sometimes met with full 

 black-breasted birds. 



DOTTEREL, Eudromias morinellus (Linnseus). Lamberton Moor, 

 which adjoins us upon the north, is one of the well-known spring 

 resorts of this species in the district. A specimen in my collection, 

 which was picked up there with a broken wing, on iyth April 1884, 

 and kindly given to me by Mr. James Mein, has scarcely begun to 

 assume the summer plumage ; two others which I saw, and which 

 had been shot near the same place a few days previously, had almost 

 completed the change. 



Scremerston, upon our south boundary, is also mentioned by 

 Selby, as a "locality where they always appear in considerable 

 numbers," but I am not aware that any have been noticed there for 

 some years past. 



RINGED PLOVER, ALgialitis hiaticula (Linnaeus). A resident. 

 A common bird about the mouth of the river during winter, and 

 breeds on the coast a few miles to the south. It seems occasionally 

 also to nest on the gravel beds higher up the Tweed, where I have 

 seen it during summer, above Coldstream in Berwickshire, and about 

 Carham. 



PEEWIT, Vanellus vulgar is, Bechstein. An abundant and well- 

 known resident. 



OYSTER-CATCHER, Hamatopus ostrakgus, Linnaeus. Is heard 

 passing over Berwick, on migration, every year, and a few may 

 generally be found upon the rocks during autumn, from the pier 

 northwards. In winter they are less frequent here, but abundant to 

 the south, particularly in the neighbourhood of Holy Island, where a 

 pair or so sometimes manage to rear their young in safety. 



I have frequently seen the Oyster-catcher upon the rocks between 

 Lamberton and Eyemouth, and mention this as Mr. Muirhead does 

 not refer to it there, though recording it as sometimes seen in the 

 neighbourhood of Redheugh and at Siccar Point. 



TURNSTONE, Strepsilas interpret (Linnaeus). A regular winter 

 visitant. Occasionally seen upon the rocks here during autumn, but, 



