chapman's bird-life of the borders. 317 



Plover, a note high-pitched, clear, but withal inexpressibly melan- 

 choly, yet altogether in harmony with the natural surroundings of 

 bleak moor and grey shingle. 



At page 44 Mr. Chapman refers to the Grasshopper Warbler as 

 occurring at Silksworth (in Durham) in 1882, but fails to mention it 

 as a visitor to the Northumberland fells. We have heard its peculiar 

 trilling notes from the last patch of cultivation far up in the hills. 

 Mr. Howard Saunders also, in his ' Manual of British Birds ' says 

 ' the moist shoulders or dips near the summits of some of our 

 highest hills, such as the Cheviots, are situations to which it seems 

 to be partial ; Northumberland and Durham being two of the 

 counties in which it is especially abundant in summer.' 



A great movement has taken place amongst the Curlew and 

 Golden Plover between the middle of July and August 12th, the 

 former, except a few lingerers in the moorland district, having almost 

 entirely disappeared, and the great majority of the local-bred Golden 

 Plover have departed for the south. Mr. Chapman has never 

 observed a Redshank or Common Sandpiper remaining inland so 

 late as the 12th. The Gulls are also gone, except a few stragglers. 



The arrival of the autumnal migrants, although not nearly so 

 pronounced as on the coast, takes place so early as to overlap the 

 departure of the summer birds, but in the Fell district at first it is 

 marked by only such stray occurrences as in the case of the 

 Whimbrel and Arctic Skua. Of the strictly sea-crossing birds the 

 earliest arrival is usually the Jack-snipe, in October, and occasionally 

 in the latter part of September. By the middle of October, the 

 winter visitors begin to pour in, Woodcock, Grey Crow, Fieldfare, 

 and Redwing. In 1880, on October 23rd, Mr. Chapman witnessed 

 an extraordinary immigration of Fieldfares. 



' While lying waiting for a " drive " of some ducks on the edge of 

 a lough, suddenly several thousands of Fieldfares appeared, flying 

 south-west, and quite low, over the heather, many passing within a 

 foot of my head as I lay concealed. They uttered, continually, a 

 peculiar low single pipe, quite different to any note I ever heard 

 Fieldfares make before or since. For some days after this the Fells 

 were "grey" with them, sitting about on bare (burnt) places, 

 especially on stones.' 



The Ring-Ousel departs with the fall of the leaf, and Mr. 

 Chapman has seen a single straggler so late as November 13th. 



The method of 'carting to moor game' late in the season, that is, 

 stalking them on the open moor with the help of a cart and horse, 

 often, under favourable conditions, affords excellent sport, but 

 requires much patience and careful management. The whole 



Oct. 1880. 



