071 the Occurrence of the Stockdove in Berwickshire. 131 



XVIII. Note on the Occurrence of the Stockdove (Columba 

 ?enas) in Berwickshire. By Egbert Geay, Esq., 

 r.RS.E. 



(Read 19th March 1879.) 



In April last year, shortly after the concluding meeting of 

 the session had taken place, I was favoured with a note from 

 Mr Charles Watson, solicitor, Dunse, in which lie informed 

 me that the stockdove was a well-known bird in Berwick- 

 shire, and must have bred there in some numbers for several 

 years. I at once wrote to that gentleman to say that his 

 communication was of the greatest interest to me, and that I 

 should be glad if he would enable me to verify the informa- 

 tion, by sending me a specimen of the bird, and thus give me 

 an opportunity of submitting it at a meeting of this Society. 

 Mr Watson most kindly replied that he would have pleasure 

 in complying with my request in time for an early meeting 

 of the present session, and he would, doubtless, have done so 

 before this time, had the birds not shifted their quarters at 

 the commencement of the severe weather which has been so 

 prevalent during the present winter. On the 11th of this 

 month, Mr Watson, in a letter which I received from him, 

 mentioned that he had some time ago asked Mr Hay of 

 Dunse Castle, to allow his gamekeeper to procure a specimen, 

 and that on the morning of that day one had been brought 

 to him, which he had at once sent off to my address. Mr 

 Watson added that the keeper had seen more than a dozen 

 of these birds on the day in question. About three months 

 previously, the flocks frequenting the woods at Dunse Castle 

 had all left the district, but had returned a few days before 

 the specimen now exhibited was shot. On asking Mr Watson 

 for further information, which I might communicate to the 

 Society this evening, I was favoured with a second com- 

 munication, in which he writes as follows : 



*' Clouds, Dunse, N.B., \Zth March 1879, 

 "About a year ago Mr Eobert Wait, bird-stuffer here, 

 brought to me a dove which had been shot by the gamekeeper 

 at Dunse Castle. I at once was satisfied it was a stockdove. 



