Bird N'uTes fuom Eskdale. 67 



was shot at Westerhall, in the parish of Westerkirk, some time in 

 the sixties. 



SAND GROUSE. 



During the invasion of these birds into Britain in 1887,' 

 several were seen on Castle O'er ground, as well as at other places 

 in the parish, but as I was residing- in England at the time I did 

 not see any myself. They did not remain to breed. 



l^UAILS. 



One was shot many years ago on Castle O'er by my brother- 

 in-law, Mr Wilson, Billholm. It was stuffed and kept as a 

 curiosity, until a cat ate its head off. Some years later another 

 was shot on the same part of the ground, and I was presented 

 with an egg taken from a nest in Roxburghshire. 



WATER RAILS. 



The only specimen I have known was brought to me by one 

 of my shepherds, who caught it -far out on the hill ground. I 

 tried to keep it alive, but it died from want of its natural food. 



REDSHANKS. 



Two or three pairs of these birds, which were unknown in 

 the district till three or four years ago, come annually now, 

 apparently to breed, into the parishes of Eskdalemuir and Wester- 

 kirk. No nests or young birds have yet been discovered, but 

 as they have been seen during all the breeding season, and were 

 uttering the peculiar cry of such birds when anyone approaches a 

 nest or young, Mr Beattie of Davington tells me that he has no 

 doubt whatever that they do breed every year on the farm of 

 Dumfedling, of which he is tenant. 



DUNLIN. 



Again I have tu thank Mr Beattie for letting me hear of the 

 nesting of a very rare bird in the parisli, namely, the dunlin. In 

 fact it is the first specimen ever recorded. Last year one of his 

 shepherds found on Dumfedling a nest containing three eggs, but 

 the single bird, which he ever saw near the nest, was unfamiliar 

 to him. and he never saw a male. jNfr Beattie, after allowing 

 more than the usual time for incubation to pass, lifted the eggs 

 and discovered they were infertile. As he had never seen 



