NOTES ON THE BirDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE. 15 
Here there may be added another taxidermist :— 
WituaMm Hope, a native of Jedburgh, b. 16th June, 1845: 
started life as a groom in the service of the Duke of 
Buccleuch at Drumlanrig, and after about seventeen years’ 
service he set up business as a taxidermist at 44 George 
Street, Edinburgh. The American Bittern which was shot 
near Drumlanrig Castle on 25th March, 1873, passed 
through Hope’s hands and was sold by him to Mr J. H. 
Gurney of Keswick Hall, Norwich. (p. 238.) He mounted 
Mr C. J. Hoggan’s 42 Ib. salmon, which was caught at 
Waterside (Keir) in 1885, and at that period described him- 
self as ‘‘ stuffer to the Edinburgh Museum.’’ He was 
awarded international gold and silver medals for his work 
in 1882, 1884 and 1890. He died in November, 1908. 
As an ornithologist of Dumfriesshire by birthright, 
although he contributed nothing towards our knowledge of 
the birds of the county and was not a member of our local 
Natural History Society, we must mention :-— 
IrRvinc, Dr. GEorGE, b. 1856, son of Mr Thomas Irving, 
farmer of Paddockhole (Hutton and Corrie). He was 
educated at Lockerbie and Dumfries Academy whence he 
went to Edinburgh University where he graduated M.A. 
On completing his medical course he set up practice in 
Lockerbie in 1884 and a year later was appointed medical 
officer for Dryfesdale. He took a great interest in local 
affairs and for a time was a member of the local School 
Board: he was also an ardent Freemason and an active 
member of the Lockerbie Bowling Club. He was a keen 
oologist and amassed a large collection of eggs which was 
given by his widow, after his death on 24th April, 1921, to 
the burgh of Lockerbie. It is to be regretted that many of 
these eggs, some of which it is almost certain were of local 
origin, are mostly without data. 
Sir WILLIAM JARDINE’S collection of birds (8673 skins, besides 
a few miscellaneous lots) was sold at auction by Messrs 
Puttock & Simpson on Thursday, 17th June, 1886, and 
realised £217 2s 6d. His collection of British Birds, which 
