Notice of a Goshawk, 8fc, by Sir W. Elliot. 319 



In Scotland, at least half-a-dozen have lately occurred, from 

 Roxburghshire to the Shetlands, the particulars of which 

 will be found in Mr Robert Gray's work ; while that gentle- 

 man, on the testimony of Mr Tottenham Lee, has reason to 

 believe that it has, even recently, bred in Kirkcudbrightshire, 

 as it formerly, almost without doubt, did in Forfarshire, 

 Stirling, Moray, and Sutherland. The same author also 

 quotes evidence from the " Liber de Melros," which seems to 

 show that in the thirteenth century it regularly bred on the 

 Border * But Professor Newton adds that some caution must 

 be used in accepting such testimony, from the confusion 

 that prevails in the application of the same name to the 

 Peregrine. (Vol. I., p. 84-5). 



At the recent meeting of the British Association, in Edin- 

 burgh, Professor Duns, of New College, read a paper " On 

 the rarer Raptorial Birds of Scotland," in which the Gos- 

 hawk does not appear. His list contains only seven species 

 falling within our limits, viz., the Golden and Fishing 

 Eagles, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Rough-legged and Honey 

 Buzzards, and Marsh Harrier. It may be useful to supple- 

 ment this list by adding all the diurnal birds of prey found 

 within the Club's limits, as far as recorded in our Proceed- 

 ings, and I have prepared the following list accordingly, 

 quoting Professor Duns where necessary. 



1 . The Golden Eagle, (Aquila chrysaetos, L.) One, in plumage, 

 was caught in a vermin trap, near Coldingham, in March, 1866. 

 — Turnbull.f Bewick, quoting Wallis, states that its eyries 

 were found on the highest parts of the Cheviot range ; and Sir 

 Wm. JardineJ (1838) says, that one or two pairs used to breed 

 in the wild range of the Scottish Borders, but their nests have 

 not been known for twenty years. 



* This supposition is only supported by negative evidence, based on tbe 

 facts that, while the Peregrine makes its eyries on high and inaccessible 

 cliffs, the Goshawk builds on trees — In the Melrose Chartulary, several 

 grants are found, made by the Avenel family, who were lords of Eskdale in 

 the reigns of William the Lion and Alexander II. (a.p. 1165--1249); in which 

 they confer lands on the Abbey, but carefully reserve all rights of chase, in- 

 cluding even the trees on which the falcons build their nests (nidos accipitrum 

 aut sperveriorum), which were on no account to be felled until it could be 

 seen whether they wished to build there again (donee in anno proximo per- 

 pendatur si in illis arboribus velint aerieare vel non). Lib. de Melros, I., 

 xvii, and Charters 39,41, 196-8. It is remarkable that in these same charters, 

 the monks are prohibited from setting any kind of traps, except for wolves. 



t " The Birds of East Lothian and a portion of the adjoining Counties," 

 by W. P. Turnbull. 1867. 



t " Birds of Great Britain and Ireland." 1838. 



