198 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



mentioned shooting a red-legged partridge at Hilton, near 

 Yarm, in Yorkshire. This is far from the Borders; but 

 I name the incident because it is probably the "furthest 

 north" for that species, which finds no place in Mr 

 Hancock's Catalogue of the Birds of Northumberland 

 and Durham. In Portugal, I have shot these partridge 

 on high heathery ridges, not unlike many of our Border 

 moors. There I liked them, because they "stretched 

 out " one's dogs ; and have since twice reared and turned 

 them down at home. Both experiments proved failures. 

 The redlegs seemed to do well till about Christmas ; but 

 vanished when the snow came. 



To return to the appearance of the foreign migrants : — 

 Beyond that of the jacksnipe and solitary snipe just 

 mentioned, I have no notes of the arrival of any other 

 species on the moors during September, except occur- 

 rences (more or less casual) of whimbrel, greenshank, 

 reeve, dotterel, green and curlew-sandpipers, knot, and 

 (on Oct. 5) a grey phalarope. 



The tufted duck and wigeon also show up on the hill- 

 loughs : but of them, more anon. 



September is the month when bullfinches reappear at 

 Houxty, though none breed in this immediate neighbour- 

 hood. It is merely a local movement. Bullfinches remain 

 throughout the winter, even the most severe. 



September 9. — The dipper commenced singing this 

 evening, a somewhat simple, but altogether delicious, 

 symphony in a minor key, usually uttered from a stone in 

 mid-stream. The dipper is one of our few winter- 

 songsters, and from September onwards the low trilling 

 melody of his evensong may often be enjoyed just as the 

 shortening autumnal days fade into night. 



September 13.- — Two sandpipers still on river to-night, 



