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Ornithological Memoranda. By James Hardy. 



Great Bustard. — One of these now rare birds was shot 

 at Fenham Flats, by a farm servant, in the first week of 

 January, 1871. Another was seen about ten days after- 

 wards. Mr Robert Gray, who commemorates this incident 

 in his recent and very interesting work, " The Birds of the 

 West of Scotland," likewise records from Holinshed, its 

 occurrence at an early period in the Merse of Berwickshire ; 

 when much land on the borders must have lain in an unculti- 

 vated state, to render it a haunt suitable for this shy bird. 

 The following is the original, from the " Scotorum Historia" 

 of Hector Boece (born 1465, died 1536), Paris, 1575, fol. 7. 

 " Piaster hsec aves in Merchia nascuntur Gustardes vernaculo 

 sermone dicta?, colore plumse ac carne perdicibus non dis- 

 similes, sed quae olor°s corporis mole exuperant. Rata est ea 

 avis atque humanum aspectum plurimum obhorrens ; nuda 

 humo ova ponit ; qua? si ab homine contrectata, aut ejus 

 anhelitu et afflatu vel leviter imbuta senserit (quod facile 

 naturae beneticio dignoscit) extemplo veluti iuidonea ad 

 pullos procreandos relinquens, alio ad ova parienda se confert." 



Bittern. — A male specimen was taken at Felton, in the 

 severe frost at the end of November, 1871, and presented to 

 the Rev. T. Ilderton {Ber.^Ado. Dec. 1). Another male, in 

 the first plumage, was shot on the 16th Dec. 1871, by Mr 

 George Gregson, on the banks of the river Till, near Weet- 

 wood. {Newcastle Journal, Dec. 20th). In the Club's Pro- 

 ceedings, this rare visitant is recorded for Redheugh, and the 

 vicinity of Berwick. 



Quail. — A female Quail was shot on the 5th December, 

 1871, at Lesbury, by Mr Joseph Hindhaugh, of Alnwick. It 

 was in excellent condition. (Ber. Adv. Dec. 15th). Mr 

 Selby had met with the Quail at Cornhill and other parts 

 within the Club's limits, as an occasional visitant. 



Hen Harrier. — Dr F. Douglas has recently seen a beauti- 

 ful specimen of a female Hen Harrier, which was shot in the 

 neighbourhood of Gordon. When a boy I have often seen 

 the " Grey Gled" on Coldingham Moor. 



Whimbrel. — The coast of Berwickshire is too precipitous 

 and rocky for a winter resort of the lesser Curlew, which is 

 not unfrequent on the Northumbrian shores, where it feeds 

 on sand-hoppers. I have hitherto only obtained a cranium 

 of a bird of this kind, which had been driven ashore during 

 the season. 



