246 PRACTICAL ORNITHOLOGY. 



rises to the surface at the Roman Camp, and extends over a 

 portion of East Lothian. Let us seat ourselves on this green 

 mound, in sight of Arthur's Seat, and all those pleasant knolls 

 and hollows. Here is a whole thicket of Dog and Downy- 

 leaved Roses, all in fruit. AVhen the hard weather comes, 

 these scarlet heps will aiford a temporary supply to the small 

 birds and thrushes. Do you see the large flock of Gulls hover- 

 ing over the ploughed field ? 



I do. Is it not uncommon to see Gulls so far inland ? 



Not in winter. But they are off. Let us get across the 

 fields to Craigmillar Castle, not regarding game-keepers, of 

 whom I seldom fall in with more than one in a year, or steel- 

 traps and spring-guns, of which I have never met with any, 

 although the notices would have us believe there are scores of 

 them in every wood. You see there is a considerable number 

 of birds in this district. First, let us count those that may 

 occur along the lane : — the Sparrow, the Chafiinch, the Yellow 

 Bunting, the Blackbird, the Thrush. We have already seen 

 the Rook, the common Gull, the AVren, the Hedge Sparrow, 

 the Magpie, the Sparrow-Hawk, the Missel Thrush, the Field- 

 fare, the Corn Bunting, the Golden-crested Wren, the Black 

 Tit, the Blue Tit, the Creeper, the Lark, the Common Pipit, 

 the Dipper, and the Water Hen. Most of these you might 

 easily procure in a single day. There is the old castle ; but 

 see, on that very large field, where the ploughs are going, 

 two flocks of birds, — Gulls and Lapwings. What a glorious 

 sight ! three hundred at least, beautiful, pure white-breasted 

 gulls — a sure sign, the farmers say, of bad weather, when 

 they fly over the land in this manner. They are all up ; they 

 wheel round, and are ofl" over the trees. I always regret that 

 these lovely birds should have so vulgar a name as Gulls. 

 Why a stupid fellow among ourselves, easily cheated, should 

 be called a gull, is perhaps because that bird may often be 

 caught with a small fish on a hook. But see, another most 

 splendid flock of Lapwings, w^ith their large, broad, black 

 wings, and glancing white sides. I believe there are several 

 hundreds ; but there is no chance of a shot. 



The ruins of Craigmillar Castle, once a favourite residence of 



