Notes on Rare Birds, by Valentine Knight. 109 



seen before ; and Dr L. Koch agrees with me in the opinion that 

 it is new to science. The curious position of the parts of the 

 mouth, with the eyes and other characters, necessitates the for- 

 mation of a new genus for its reception. It is with much 

 pleasure that I connect the name of Mr Hardy with this interest- 

 ing addition to the known species of our indigenous Acaridea. 



Notes on the occurrence of Rare Birds in this district. By 

 Valentine Knight, Esq. 



Green Sandpiper {Totanus ochropus). — One day about the third 

 week in last November, I flushed a specimen of this rare Sand- 

 piper, on the Teviot, immediately below Roxburgh Mill. It 

 settled again about a hundred yards further down the pool, but 

 being certain of its identity, and having a rod in my hand instead 

 of a gun, I did not again disturb it. 



Greenshank (Totanus glottis). — Saw two of these birds at Holy 

 Island, in the month of August last, and succeeded in shooting 

 one at the Coves point there, on the 18th of that month. Also, 

 upon several occasions, in the early part of the following month, 

 I saw from one to three of these waders — on one occasion seeing 

 three in company — on the Teviot, near Nisbet. They have a 

 wild and very melodious note — four or five times repeated — and 

 quite distinct from that of the Redshank. These birds were 

 doubtless on their migration southwards. 



Great Snipe (Scolopax major). — On the 20th of July last, I 

 flushed a Great Snipe three times on the banks of the Teviot, 

 close to Nisbet bridge. This, I am fully aware, is an unusually 

 early date for the arrival of this species, but being quite sure of 

 its identity, it occurred to me there was a possibility, though not 

 a probability, that it might have nested in the district. I there- 

 fore, about a week afterwards, found out the keeper, and asked 

 him if he could give me any information about the bird. He at 

 once told me he had seen a " large" Snipe about a week before, 

 which answered to the time I myself saw it, but of a nest he 

 knew nothing. Morris states that "many years ago" four 



