Meetings of Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, by J. Hardy. 397 



balks. The grazings of this hill and its environs are much in- 

 fluenced by droughty years, the soil being thin. The moisture 

 of the present season had been very beneficial, the herbage 

 being very luxuriant. On this dry soil, among the native grasses, 

 grew much of the scented Galium saxatile ; also Veronica officinalis ; 

 milkwort, Poly gala vulgaris, in its pleasant diversity of tints ; while 

 Earth-nuts had sprung up in the intervals between the brakens ; 

 and shewy fox-gloves in full blossom, greeted us on the ascent. 

 After gaining an elevation, whence was obtained a good view 

 of the town of Wooler, and the plain country encircling it, 

 a direction was taken along the S.W. angle of the hill, for the 

 deep hollow that opens a passage across to the northern side. As 

 we pass along, a pair of partridges and their numerous brood 

 are flushed. Seated on the tops of the brakens, uttering their 

 small alarm, utick ! utick ! and anxiously shifting their position, 

 a small colony of Whinchats fSaxicola rubetraj became conspicu- 

 ous. These birds occur again at Yeavering Bell ; and I have noted 

 them elsewhere at Lyham edge ; on Wooler haugh, at its upper 

 extremity ; mid-way up Cheviot, above Langleyford Hope ; and 

 at Using Shank, on the way to Broadstruther. They are shy 

 dwellers of remote wilds. The Cushat also is frequently startled 

 from among those close braken thickets, where it resorts to hide, 

 till it can safely steal down into the corn or turnip fields. Pairs 

 of White-throats also breed here among the brakens. The White- 

 throat was again visible near Yeavering Bell, frequenting some 

 aged thorns, in happy and undisturbed seclusion. Starlings in 

 small flocks of two or three families united were familiarly walk- 

 ing among the sheep. These pastures are also a great resort for 

 Missel thrushes, and to them they lead out their young fledge- 

 lings ; and Wheat-ears haunted the rocky ground and glitters, 

 wherever we penetrated. 



The steep sides of the ravines, now entered, are diversified by 

 brown porphyritic crags, sprinkled at this season with opening 

 heather-bells, a profusion of the gay Helianthemum vulgar e, and a 

 few fresh fern tufts ; — by grassy, or dwarf bilberry verdant 

 stretches, spotted with purple wild thyme, and the yellow stars 

 of tormentil ; by purple glitters barren of vegetation ; — by out- 

 standing bands of rock of a pillared structure that traverse it 

 like dykes, broken across the centre, and ascending in ridges on 

 either side. The narrow bottom is encumbered with grey 



