Zoological Notes, by Andrew Brotherston. 181 



fresh arrivals from the north had come, but I learned, on good 

 authority, that they were there near the end of June. Thinking 

 that they were disabled birds that could not go with their com- 

 panions when they left, I alarmed them, when both rose and 

 flew in a manner which shewed that if ever they had been 

 wounded, they were then all right ; but I think it very likely 

 that they were unable to go when the others left, as if they 

 stopped from choice, out of the large flocks which visit us every 

 winter, many more would remain to breed with us. 



Mottled Mallard {Anas loschas), Penn. — It is rare to find a 

 Mallard not of the normal colour. One got near Smailholm, 

 June 23rd, 1876, had numerous white spots scattered over it, the 

 prevailing colours being the same as usual. 



Larks feeding their young in confinement. — When it is 

 wanted to bring up a nest of Starlings, Bullfinches, or other 

 birds, it is a common practice to get the old birds to feed their 

 young until they are able to do so themselves, by placing them 

 in a cage, and removing it gradually away from the nest, to 

 where they are intended to be kept. But the following circum- 

 stance is, I think, worth recording, f A bird-fancier here, found 

 a Lark's nest with three young ones, and wishing to capture the 

 old ones also, he placed a few "lime-twigs" near the nest, and 

 soon secured both parents. After taking them home, he put 

 them all into one cage, placing a sod in the bottom, also some 

 boiled eggs, worms, &c. Whenever the young birds began to 

 call for food, the male commenced feeding them, and continued 

 doing so, the female rarely assisting, even after they could eat. 



The Dunlin (Tringa variabilis), Selby. — An old male was 

 killed on the edge of Yetholm Loch, in the end of July, 1876, 

 and I had another, a young bird, August 11th, which was killed 

 by flying against the telegraph wires near Haddon ; from which 

 it is probable that they breed in this district. They were very 

 plentiful in the neighbourhood of Berwick, during the last winter 

 and spring (1876-7). 



Late nesting of the Quail (Perdix coturnix). — On the 6th of 

 September, 1876, a nest containing nine eggs, was found by the 

 reapers, in a corn field on the farm of Kersquarter, about 2 miles 

 east from Kelso. It was a high lying field sloping to the south. 



t Morris refers to similar instances of Lark's feeding their young when 

 captured with them. — ("Brit. Birds," ii., 185). 



