52 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



boulder at the Cloven Crag", a mass of tumbled rocks 

 flanking a singular cleft in the hills looking down on 

 Coquetdale. These eggs lay on the bare peat, 1 8 inches 

 from the entrance. 



April 22. — Pied flycatcher, Houxty burn. This is 

 the earliest arrival I have noted of this species, which, 

 though increasing, yet remains a scarce bird. 



Apidl 23. — White wagtail, also at Houxty. I have 

 only noticed this bird (so common and familiar in 

 Norway) on three occasions in the British Isles. The 

 first was on May 24th, 1885, near Scots Gap; and, by 

 a curious coincidence, my friend Mr Howard Saunders 

 had observed another, on the same day, in another part 

 of Northumberland, viz., at Langley Castle on South 

 Tyne. On September 21st, 1892, a white wagtail (in 

 company with several of the pied and grey species, both 

 old and young) frequented the burn under our window 

 at Otterburn, during nearly a whole week. The third 

 instance occurred at Loch Merkland, in Sutherland ; it 

 was feeding about the garden of the lodge all the 

 morning of October 13th (1898)- — -rather a late date 

 for a wagtail. 



The day before, I had shot, on Ben Hee, a royal stag, 

 whose antlers taped hard by a yard in length — should 

 any doubt, they may consult Rowland Ward's Records 

 of Big" Gaitie. 



April 23. — Heard to-day the linnet-like song of the 

 Twite, on the slopes of Monkridge fell ; near the spot 

 where, a month later (on May 21st), we watched the 

 female to her nest. It was built among the heather, 

 like a titlark's, and contained five eggs. 



It is outside the scope of this work to record the 

 arrivals of all the summer-birds ; but two others that are 



