430 The Rarer Birds of the Solway Area. 



Huntsman and his hounds are out, and the superstitious peasantry 

 crouch closer round the fire when the ominous sounds swell on the 

 rising gale. 



Bewick's Swan is smaller and slimmer. One was got at 

 Southwick, and was kept for some months until it recovered 

 from a wounded wing, when one day it walked out to a knoll, 

 rose in the air, and disappeared. 



The Long-tailed Duck is very familiar as the " calloo " to 

 those who journey up the West Coast in summer and early 

 autumn, and it is so named from its call. Up till recent years, 

 none were seen any nearer than the Ayrshire coast, but within 

 the last ten or twelve years little parties have been finding their 

 way round the Mull of Galloway into our waters, and a few have 

 even got inside Southerness. 



A very interesting species is the Velvet Scoter. Those who 

 are at Southerness in the winter are attracted by the large flocks 

 of black ducks diving into the water. One in five hundred is 

 white-spotted on the wing, and such are not freaks but a distinct 

 species known as the velvet scoter. 



The Smew is another rare Siberian duck which visits us 

 in the winter. 



The Red-necked Grebe is scarce on the west, but common 

 on the east coast. 



Of the pretty Little-eared Grebe we have only one record 

 locally, that of a pair shot in 1863 at Castledykes pool. 



A specially interesting species is that of the Little Auk, 

 which is found as far north as any navigator has penetrated 

 towards the North Pole. We had, perhaps, a dozen specimens 

 found in our area a few years ago at the time of what was 

 called the " wreck of the little auk," when caught by a gale they 

 were dashed against our shores, but since then it has not again 

 occurred among us to my knowledge. 



The Black Tern at one time bred in Cumberland, and 

 threatened to breed in Solway Moss, but did not. Since then it 

 turns up in the autumn months at odd intervals. 



The Little Gull from the Persian and Caspian region shows 

 a tendency to extend its migration far to the west in the early 

 part of the winter, owing perhaps to the fact that here in the 

 north-west part of Europe we have as mild a time during winter 

 as anvwhere on the continent. 



