116 WRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



when ripe. 1 The alpine Cornus succica also grows at 

 one spot here — a very rare British plant, not found 

 save on Cheviot and on one other of the northern 

 hills. Here and there grow tufts of stag's-horn moss 

 {Lycofiodium), trailing shoots of crowberry [Emfietrum 

 nigrum), bilberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus), and many 

 another alpine plant. 



Besides a few golden plovers, a grouse or two (none 

 nest so high), and a chance titlark, the only birds one 

 may expect to see on the summit of Cheviot (2676 feet) 

 are the dunlins. Of these there is a little colony' — 

 generally five or six pairs, all breeding together among 

 the moory tussocks, and extremely tame, preening 

 and "purring" within a dozen yards. Beautiful little 

 creatures they are, in their summer-plumage of bright 

 chestnut and black, with white flanks and the black 

 patch on their breasts. 



One might expect that these bleak altitudes would 

 attract dotterel and whimbrel : but although the invitation 

 is cordial enough, yet for reasons of their own, both these 

 species ignore it, and every spring pass by unresponsive. 



On a clear day the view from Cheviot repays all 

 labour of the ascent. The eye ranges over a panorama 

 of mountain-land. Northward, beyond the Tweed, with 

 glimpses of its silvery thread, extend interminable Lam- 

 mermuirs. The triple crests of the Eildons, above 

 Melrose, stand out prominent in the west ; while all the 



1 A kindly critic of the first edition wrote from Kelso that the cloud- 

 berry "flourishes in fine fruit at Moodlaw Loch, which is only about 1200 

 feet above sea-level." I have since found it growing luxuriantly on Peel- 

 fell (1975 feet), and on Deadwater-fell (1867 feet) at the head of North 

 Tyne. Cloudberries are called "noops" in Northumberland, and grow all 

 along the Border line, but not, according to general belief, under 1000 feet 

 altitude. 



