68 Dr. Baird on tlie Capture of Sericomyia borealis. 



Notice of the Capture of Sericomyia borealis on one of the Cheviot 

 Hills, in August 1850. By W. Baird, M.D., F.L.S. 



On the 14th of August last, while seated along with my brother, 

 the Rev. John Baird of Yetholm, on a cairn of stones on the top 

 of Kout's Nouth, one of the highest of the Yetholm range of the 

 Cheviot Hills, we were simultaneously struck by a peculiar shrill 

 musical sound proceeding apparently from amongst the loose 

 stones scattered around the base of the cairn on which we sat. 

 The note raised was loud and distinct, and clear as that of a 

 musician's pitch-key. It was some time before we ascertained 

 from whence the sound proceeded. At first the note was single ; 

 then two or three were heard ringing clear through the air, the 

 sound being like that of a precentor striking his key-note with 

 his pitch-key before he commences his tune. No other sound 

 was heard on the solitary hill, and we might, with the aid of a 

 little imagination, have easily supposed the music to come from 

 the little elves or fairies that were said, in the good old times gone 

 by, to have sported on our beautiful border hill-sides and peopled 

 our romantic little dells. At last we observed some fine large 

 flies hovering about the stones, and occasionally flying past us 

 with a loud hum. Upon attentive examination we found that 

 these flies were of two kinds ; one large and of a uniform dark 

 colour, the other distinguished by having its abdomen horizon- 

 tally barred by several bands of a yellow colour. This banded 

 variety particularly engaged our attention, and upon watching 

 the motions of one of these we found that it darted past us very 

 rapidly with a loud hum or buzzing noise, and then alighted 

 gently upon the surface of a stone. Immediately it alighted it 

 became apparently immoveable, and then the clear musical note 

 burst forth, swelling on the ear in a remarkable manner. We 

 discovered no motion in the creature when producing this music, 

 though that might in part have been because of its shyness in al- 

 lowing us to approach very near to it. As soon as we came close 

 to its station on the stone, it darted off with a loud buzzing noise, 

 totally different from the clear sonorous pipe it had been treating 

 us to previously when at rest. This buzzing noise it continued 

 while on the wing, but no sooner did it settle again upon a stone 

 than the same clear musical sound once more streamed forth. 

 Having no nets or means whereby we could capture a few speci- 

 mens, we were long before we could secure an individual for ex- 

 amination. At last we succeeded in striking one down without 

 killing it, and carried it home. It must have been injured how- 

 ever, for though it lived in a tumbler during the night, it died 

 next morning, without our having been able to watch its move- 

 ments or hear its song. 



The day was very hot in the low ground, with bright sunshine ; 



