THE RAVEN IN THE LAMMERMOORS 191 



THE RAVEN IN THE LAMMERMOORS 



By Rev. W. M'CONACHIE, M.A., LL.D. 



The return of the Raven for nesting purposes to the 

 Lammermoors seems a very interesting fact in the natural 

 history of the Scottish Borders. An earlier connection of 

 the bird with these hills is indicated by some place names. 

 Muirhead in The Birds of Berivickshire mentions several : — 

 Corbie Heugh Quarry, on Greenlaw Moor, Raven's Craig, a 

 precipice on the Whitadder, near Cranshaws, and others in 

 the vicinity of the hills. I have heard the name Corbie 

 Heugh given to another rocky scaur in the western 

 Lammermoors. Kelly in his interesting contributions to 

 the Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalist Club in 

 1874 and succeeding years, has this note on the Raven: — 

 " Corvus corax. Found in a rabbit trap in Edgarhope 

 (Lauderdale), last year. The Raven must be looked on as 

 a straggler here. Ravens used to nest in force at the 

 West Hope." The last statement will be taken for what 

 it is worth, but the fact itself of these birds nesting, which is 

 quite likely, rests, no doubt, on local tradition. Turnbull 

 writing earlier (editions, 1863, 1867 of his Birds of East 

 Lothia7z, from Memoranda made between 1845-50) has 

 only this remark to make : — " Corbie. Rather rare on the 

 Lammermuirs. It is also met with occasionally on the 

 coast." 



That Ravens visited these hills, generally in winter, I 

 had learned repeatedly from keepers and shepherds, and 

 on two occasions during the last sixteen years had met with 

 them myself among the hills. Within recent years there 

 has been a more pronounced tendency for the bird to visit 

 the Lammermoors. In a trap set for vermin, a male Raven 

 was trapped by Mr Campbell, headkeeper, East Addinston, 

 on Seenes Law, Lauder, 21st April 1920. This bird came 

 into my own possession. Three were seen about the 

 western Lammermoors at the time, and probably the female 



