182 Zoological Notes, by Andrew Brotherston. 



Nearly every year a few Quails are got in this neighbourhood, 

 but this is only the second nest that I am aware of having been 

 found. (See p. 500 of last year's "Proceedings," see also p. 

 515). Mr Gray mentions, in his " Birds of the West of Scotland," 

 an instance of the Quail nesting later — on 4th October, 1851. In 

 the last week of December, 1876, an adult female — now in Ber- 

 wick Museum — was shot on Berwick hill, near Scremerston. 



Ospeey (Pandion haliaetus), Sav.— An adult female, in excellent 

 plumage, was shot on September 25th, 1876, by Mr J. Kerss, on 

 the Tweed, about two miles below Kelso. Attention was first 

 directed to it, by the great commotion amongst the rooks and 

 other birds, which were making the Osprey's quarters, in a small 

 plantation on the river side, rather too hot. This is a very 

 beautifully marked bird, the ground colour of the upper parts 

 being dark brown, all the feathers having very light coloured or 

 white tips and margins. Under parts white, except a broad 

 ferruginous band across the upper part of the breast and the 

 under tail coverts, which are very pale yellowish brown. Its 

 dimensions were — length from bill to tail, 1ft. llin. ; expanse of 

 wings, 5ft. 6in. ; weight, 3|lb. The last that was killed in this 

 district (at Floors, May 24th, 1873, see "Proc." viii., p. 132) 

 was about the same dimensions, but weighed 3flb. Mr Morris, 

 in his "Brit. Birds," gives the weight of the Osprey — "male 

 between 4lb. and 5lb." and of the female " sometimes above 51b." 

 It appears to me that there is some mistake here, as the two 

 birds mentioned above were adult females, and both in good 

 condition. (This fine bird is in Mr A. Steel's collection). 



Bough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus), Plem. — On the 19th 

 of October, 1876, a male, in very fine plumage, was shot from 

 Berwick Pier. It was 21 -J- inches long, 52 inches from tip to tip 

 of wings, and weighed 21^- ounces. When opened the stomach 

 was completely empty. Prom its tired appearance, and the fact 

 that others were reported from various parts of the country about 

 the same time, it would appear to have but newly arrived on our 

 coasts. The unusually large migratory flight which came to this 

 country in the autumn of 1875, arrived nearly about the same 

 time. 



Pood op the Hooded Crow ( Corvus comix), Linn. — It is 

 generally supposed that nothing short of necessity will force the 

 " Hoodie" to feed on any sort of vegetable diet. But that such 



