46 



BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



the querulous cat-like cry ; ten minutes later, silent 

 forms soar and circle outside the wood, and after some 

 preliminary gyrations, the night's hunting begins in 

 earnest. During the nesting-season, these owls have 

 another cry — not unlike the petulant barking of a spoilt 

 lap-dog ; but they never hoot. 



Besides the above, cushats also lay in March ; and 

 so, of course, do rooks. But the only further remarks 

 I will make on March-nesting birds, are these :■ — ■ 



March 20.- — A missel - thrush commenced laying, 

 though there were 7 frost at night. 



Redshank in April. 



March 21. — Planted this day a big cypress {Thugofisis 

 borealis). Five days later, a song-thrush had completed 

 nest-building therein, and on the 28th this nest contained 

 two eggs — exactly one week's work. 



March 31. — A stockdove's nest at the Keyheugh con- 

 tained one egg — an exceptionally early date. 



By weaving together the numerous skeins above 

 rudely collated, it will be seen that we already have, by 

 mid-April, a sufficiently charming aggregation of bird-life 

 on the moors. The purely summer-birds, the warblers, 



