196 



Notice of the Breeding of the Woodcock in Roxburghshire. 

 By Francis Douglas, M.D. 



On the 26th of May, 1867, the gamekeeper at Abbotsford 

 saw a brood of Woodcocks, which must have been bred on 

 the estate. Both parents were distinctly seen, and the hen 

 made a feint to withdraw the gamekeeper's attention from 

 her brood, one of which was however shot and taken to 

 Abbotsford. On examination the plumage of the bird proved 

 it to be a young one of the year. 



Woodcocks generally breed in the North of Europe, and 

 instances of nidification in Britain are exceedingly rare. 



The above incident was communicated to me by Mr Smail, 

 of Galashiels. 



Notice of the occurrence of a Mock Moon. By the 

 Rev. F. R. Simpson. 



On the 27th August, 1871, at 8.50 p.m., my attention was 

 drawn to a large semi-halo to the east of the moon, in which, 

 on a line parallel with the horizon, was a clearly denned 

 mock moon, which continued so for about five minutes ; after 

 which it became gradually more and more indistinct till it 

 assumed the appearance of a faintly bright nebulous spot ; 

 finally disappearing as the halo spread to the east. The 

 wind was W. at the time — light breeze, with very light thin 

 scud, which seemed to be driven to the east of the moon, 

 where the halo was formed. The radius of the halo might 

 be about 15°. The time from first observation to disappear- 

 ance was about twenty minutes. 



Notice of Peucedanum Ostruthium, by Francis 

 Douglas, M.D. 



A specimen of this plant was shewn me by Mr A. Brothers- 

 ton, a gaidener in Kelso, who found it at Lochtower, close to 

 the margin of Yetholm Loch. So far as I knew, the plant 

 had not been previously observed within the limits of the 

 Club. The habitat must have existed many years, for, 

 although i( Masterwort " was formerly cultivated as a pot- 

 herb, it has long given place to more valued aromatics. In 

 like manner, I may notice Smyrnium olusatrum, which I 

 have observed in the neighbourhood of Jedburgh and Dry- 

 burgh ; probably relics of Monkish times. 



