34 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



the wide haughs of the upper Coquet (25 miles from 

 the sea) at the end of March, associated with redshanks, 

 peewits, and an occasional dunlin. 



March 23. — The Reed- Bunting's {Emberiza schceni- 

 clus) have now acquired their full black heads — not by 

 a moult, but by the abrasion of the buff-coloured tips 

 of the original feathers. But they still only utter the 

 single pipe, or chirrup, of winter — no song- until April. 

 On the lower marshy grounds by the coast, these birds 

 remain all winter : but here are partially migrants, 

 appearing at Houxty about the above date. 



March 25.- — A pair of Goosanders on North Tyne, 

 under my windows at Houxty ; watched them through 

 binoculars at 100 yards, diving, and bringing up trout at 

 about four to the minute — all under the 9-inch limit! I 

 have observed these handsome birds here on other 

 occasions at this season ; and also, more frequently, on 

 the Tweed and adjacent lochs. St Mary's Loch in 

 Selkirkshire is a notable resort of goosanders in spring. 

 They often keep in trios — a drake with two ducks. But 

 though we have watched them chasing and coquetting 

 early in April, and they remain till quite late in May, 

 yet none have ever nested there. 



The Lesser Black-backed Gull {Larus fuscus) is 

 another conspicuous species which comes in March to 

 breed on the inland moors : but is not included in my 

 list of migrants, for the simple reason that these modern 

 mosstroopers occur here, sporadically, during every 

 month of the year. I shall have something more to say 

 about them presently. 



March 31. — Killed to-day the first adder: another 

 on April 6th. These reptiles abound on the moors 

 throughout the summer, living on mice and small birds. 



