THE SHORT-EARED OWL IN VOLE PLAGUE DISTRICTS 221 



be necessary to get returns from the whole or at least the 

 greater part of the farms on these watersheds, as the birds 

 may not be distributed over all the ground. This is the 

 case in Ettrick, in regard to which I have returns from most 

 of the infested farms from Kirkhope (seven or eight miles 

 south of Selkirk) to Potburn at the head of the river. The 

 result is that in the district between Kirkhope and Tushie- 

 law — an area, roughly speaking, seven or eight miles long 

 by three or four broad — many nests have been seen, and the 

 bird is abundant, while in the district between Tushielaw 

 and Potburn — about ten or twelve miles long by three or 

 four miles in breadth — the Owl has up to the present month 

 (September) been scarce ; thus seeming to imply that the 

 migratory flight had, last autumn, been arrested in its course, 

 farther down the river, by the abundance of food there. 

 There can be no question as to the abundance of the food 

 supply in the upper district, which has suffered terribly from 

 the ravages of the voles. Air. M'Clure, Over Kirkhope, 

 which is seven or eight miles above Tushielaw, has, however, 

 just informed me that a great many birds have appeared 

 on that farm within the last few weeks. As there is a very 

 marked diminution in the number of voles over much of 

 the infected area, this appearance of the bird on new ground 

 may be taken as indicating that food is getting scarce on 

 some of its late resorts. 



Mr. R. Service, Maxwelltown, who has given much atten- 

 tion to the bird and to the plague, estimates that from 150 

 to 200 pairs remained to nest in Dumfriesshire and Kirkcud- 

 bright. 



The following is a summary of the number of nests 

 actually seen on the farms from which specific information 

 has been obtained, as stated in the Schedule. 



