NOTES 115 



had been disposed of as soon as possible to the Dundas Chemical 

 Company, who immediately cut it up and boiled it down. Though 

 recorded in the Dumfries and Galloway Standard of 17th February 

 1 91 2, as a " Pilot Whale," I managed to obtain a description of it, 

 and also a tooth, which enabled my friend, Mr R. Lydekker, to 

 confirm my opinion that it was a Killer. Such conflicting evidence 

 was forthcoming as regards its measurements that I should be sorry 

 to say more than that the specimen must certainly have been a very 

 large one. — Hugh S. Gladstone. 



The Greater Wheatear in Midlothian. — On 9th May 



191 1, my daughter and I watched for some time a beautiful male 

 of the large race of Wheatear {Saxicola cenanthe leucorrhoa) at the 

 cairn on the summit of South Black Hill, Pentlands. There was no 

 mistaking it, its large size, and altogether more " distinguished " 

 appearance as compared with the other Wheatears we saw in the 

 course of our walk across the hills, being very striking. On the 

 morning of the same day Greater Wheatears were observed on 

 migration at the Isle of May, by Misses Baxter and Rintoul {ante, 

 p. 54). I have recorded this race from East Lothian in autumn 

 (Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1910, p. 55), but the present record is the 

 first for Midlothian. — William Evans. 



Barn Owls in Berwickshire. — The Barn Owl (Strixjlammea), 

 which is now a scarce bird in Scotland generally, is an increasing- 

 species in the Merse of Berwickshire. About twenty years ago its 

 numbers were reduced to a low ebb, but of late years it has become 

 fairly plentiful in suitable districts. The local bird-stuffers unfortun- 

 ately get a good many to preserve during the season, and about the 

 beginning of this year one of the craft in Duns had seven or eight 

 on hand at one time. Most of the birds, however, had been picked 

 up dead, or in a moribund state, and were in an emaciated 

 condition. They were all light-coloured, white-breasted birds. — 

 T. G. Laidlaw, Duns. 



[A similar increase has been observed in Haddingtonshire. — Eds.] 



Brent Goose in Peeblesshire. — As it is quite exceptional to 

 find the Brent Goose (Branta bernida) away from the sea, or the 

 saltings on the coast, it may be of interest to record the occurrence 

 of a specimen in Peeblesshire, about twenty miles inland, in 

 February last. The bird, when first seen, was frequenting some 

 grass fields on a farm near West Linton, but on an attempt being 

 made to stalk it, it proved to be very wary, and left the neighbourhood. 

 A day or two later it was shot on the meadows at Drochil, about 

 four miles from the place where it was first observed. 



