ZOOLOGY. 



THE BIRDS OP THE SOUTH-EAST OP SOOTLAM). 



By D'ARCY W. THOMPSON. 



THERE is perhaps no part of the kingdom whose bird-popu- 

 lation is of greater extent or interest than that of the 

 south-eastern district of Scotland. The counties of Berwick and 

 Roxburgh, Fife and the Lothians, besides affording sufficient area 

 and sufficient variety of conditions to accommodate a very large 

 proportion of our native birds, are at the same time most favour- 

 ably situated to receive irregular and straggling visitants. St 

 Abb's Head, the Bass Rock, the Isle of May, along with many 

 of the smaller rocks and islets in the Firth, are the haunts and 

 breeding-places of innumerable sea-fowl: the estuary of the Tyne, 

 and several other similar spots, afford congenial localities for 

 Herons, Sandpipers, and many more " lang-leggit " birds ; while 

 the Cheviots, the Lammermoors, and the Pentlands, the woods 

 and cultivated districts of the Lothians and Fife, are all abun- 

 dantly frequented by their natural occupants ; and, in addition, 

 every stormy winter brings us many rare and interesting strangers 

 from the opposite shores of the North Sea. Moreover, the num- 

 ber of naturalists and collectors, though they work sad havoc 

 among many of our once common birds, serve to keep us fully 

 acquainted with every unlucky rarity that may occasionally 

 visit us. 



Among the rarest and most important captures that have been 

 made in our district may be mentioned the following : Teng- 

 malm's Owl, Golden Oriole, Bohemian Waxwing, Pennsylvanian 

 Pipit, White-winged Crossbill, Pallas's Sand-grouse, American 

 Bittern, Stork, Spoonbill, Brown Snipe, Blue-winged Teal, Little 

 Gull, Fork-tailed Petrel, &c. ; while among our more frequent or 

 regular visitants are the Mealy Redpoll, Crossbill, Quail, Dotterel, 

 Little Stint, Eider-Duck, Little Auk, Lesser Tern, Solan-Goose, 

 and so on. 



As in all other parts of the country, the cruel policy of battue- 



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