ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SOUTH OF SCOTLAND. 239 



' The House Sparrow is very rarely to be seen in any of the valleys ; the Sky 

 Lark is not so plentiful as in lower districts, but the Meadow Pipit, Antkus pra- 

 tensiSj is extremely abundant. Emberiza miliam and E. schoeniculus are rather 

 rare. The Common Crossbill I have had from the Rev. Mr. Adam, of Peebles. 



Hirundo rustica, H. urbica, and H. riparia, are seen in most of the dis- 

 tricts, although by no means plentiful. 



Motacilla alba and M. boarula are frequent, and M . flaveola occurs rarely. 



The Raven breeds in several places in the higher part of the group, as does the 

 Carrion Crow ; but the Hooded Crow is nowhere seen. The Rook is common, 

 the Jackdaw occurs in a few places, and the Magpie is rare. The Jay is found 

 in a few places along the Tweed. 



Tetrao tetrix and Lagopus Scoticus are both numerous ; but the Ptarmigan 

 does not occur in the southern division of Scotland. Perdix cinerea is plentiful 

 in the lower grounds. Columba palumbus is also plentiful. The Pheasant has 

 been introduced in several parts. 



The Cuckoo and Goatsucker occur, the latter very rare, as is the Kingfisher, 

 Alcedo tspida, which has been seen on the Tweed. 



The Eagles seem to have been extirpated. It is -mentioned, however, in one 

 of the Statistical Reports, that a White-tailed Eagle^had been seen in 1831. The 

 claws of one seen at Birkhill by Sir William Jardine, belonged to the Golden 

 Eagle. The Common Buzzard, the Sparrow Hawk, and the Kestrel, I have 

 seen in various parts. The Peregrine Falcon breeds in several places, among 

 others on the rock of the Grey-mare's-tail. The Merlin and Hen Harrier I in- 

 troduce on the authority of Sir William Jardine. The Barn Owl and Brown 

 Owl are the only species of Strigidse of whose occurrence I am certain. 



The Grallatores observed are Ardea cinerea, Vanellus cristatus, Totanus hypo- 

 leucos, Charadrius pluvialis, Tringa alpina, Numenius arquata, Scolopax rus- 

 ticola, S.gallinago, S.gallinula, Rallus aquaticus, GaUinula crex, and G. chloropus. 



Swans and Geese are sometimes seen on St. Mary's Loch ; but the only species 

 of this family which I have met with are the common Wild Duck, the Teal, and 

 the Golden-eye. In January last I saw a fine specimen of Mergus serrator, 

 which had been shot on the Tweed. The Great Blackbacked Gull I have seen 

 soaring over the bed of the Ettrick near Selkirk, not far from which is a breed- 

 ing place of Larus ridibundus. 



For specimens of many of these birds I am indebted to Sir Thomas G. Car- 

 michael, Bart., of Stirling, and the Rev. Mr. Adam, of Peebles. No doubt se- 

 veral other species occur in the district ; but the above are all whose occurrence I 

 have ascertained. 



The reptiles are the Viper, the Slow-worm, the Common Lizard, the Common 

 Newt, the Frog, and the Toad. 



