Zoological Miscellanea and Extracts, by James Hardy. 191 



then fled with, wild outcries. It flew sluggish like an Owl. I 

 examined it the same evening. It is now preserved by the 

 gamekeeper at Dunglass. Mr Eobert Gray states of date 18th 

 October, 1876, that a very dark coloured Honey Buzzard was 

 shot at Pencaitland, about a month previously. 



Fieldfare. — Fieldfares were numerous near Belford in the 

 end of December, picking up food in the open fields, among 

 cattle and sheep. There was a very large assemblage at Fow- 

 berry Moor, on the 22nd of that month, in turnip fields where 

 sheep were folded. Snow came on, and on the 2nd January, 

 1877, the Fieldfares betook themselves to the wild fruits which 

 had hitherto stood untouched. Again on January 3rd, they were 

 engaged stripping the haws from the hedges ; and all across 

 Cold Martin Moss, there was a movement of birds feeding on 

 cranberries. Apparently these would have been left untouched, 

 had more congenial supplies not been obstructed. A few Eed- 

 wings accompanied the Fieldfares on the low district near the 

 Till. 



King-Ouzel. — Several birds were still frequenting the top of 

 Eas Castle, in Chillingham Park, when I visited it on the 17th 

 October, 1876. A few pickings of bilberries might still remain 

 to attract them. 



On Stone-chats nesting in Eabbit-burrows. — I think I can 

 quite satisfy you about the nests I spoke of being Stone-chats 

 and not Wheatears. I have watched the birds on several occa- 

 sions sitting close to the mouths of the rabbit-holes, and seen 

 them go in, and on one occasion found a nest in this way ; though 

 it had no eggs at the time. A man who lives on the Old Law, 

 above Eoss Links, also described the nests to me (which he had 

 seen in rabbit-holes) as having blue eggs spotted with brown ; 

 he knew the birds well by the name " Stone-chats," and seemed 

 well informed about birds generally. Also, though I have 

 watched and seen the Stone-chats go into the holes often, I have 

 never seen a Wheatear at all in these parts. "When I was at St. 

 Andrew's, in 1875, I found them breeding in rabbit-holes in the 

 same way, and have also seen them go into the holes at Barmoor. 

 The nest I found at Eoss exactly corresponded with the other 

 Stone-chats' nests I have found, besides the fact of the bird 

 going in and making a great deal of noise when I went to the 

 nest. — A. H. Evans, Scremerston, January 15, 1877, 



