148 The Native Birch in Selkirkshire, by James Hardy. 



Gullery, then it was that these poor timorous solitaries decamped. 

 Of late they have not returned, leaving the place for good and all. 

 Ueia lachrymals. — An immature female bird of the Ringed 

 Guillemot was captured by Mr Simson and his dog, in the 

 Leader. Another, probably the male, was shot a day or two 

 after, near Oxton. Both, I understand, are preserved. 



The Native Birch in Selkirkshire. By James Hardy. 



On the occasion of the Club's meeting at Bowhill, I was par- 

 ticularly struck, when at Mr Wood's, of Galashiels, with the 

 aspect of the fine Birches on the margin of Gala Park, a frag- 

 ment of the famous Ettrick Forest. The soil, composed of the 

 debris of the greywacke formation, is remarkably suitable to the 

 nature of the Birch, and the climate appears to be likewise con- 

 genial, for when planted young thriving trees rush up with the 

 most rapid progress, without any check. At Bowhill the native 

 wood of the Forest appears to have consisted principally of Birch, 

 as is indicated by the indigenous growth of young trees on 

 hained grounds. Mr Kerss writes that both the Birch and the 

 Mountain Ash would soon cover the ground, if preserved from 

 pasturage, and the Forest of Ettrick would become woods again, 

 in the course of years. In "Marmion," Sir Walter Scott does, 

 not forget, "How clung the Eowan to the rock ;" and, "o'er every 

 dell what Birches hung." The following little anecdote, sup- 

 plied by Mr Kerss, shews the adaptability of the Birch to cover 

 naked surfaces in that upland district. In lower situations 

 attempts to raise strips of Birch have sometimes proved unsuc- 

 cessful : — "A shepherd, a good many years ago, — either over in 

 Borthwick, or in Ale water, I forget which — was burning 

 heather. For this purpose a Birch rod or switch is generally 

 used, to put the fire out. This he used on this occasion, and 

 after he was done burning the heather, he stuck the Birch rod 

 firmly into the ground. Some years afterwards, when revisiting 

 the spot, great was his surprise to find the Birch rod had grown 

 into a tree. This was told me, some years ago, by a very credit- 

 able party, the late Mr Simpson, of Fauldshope." 



