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Arrival, Departure, and Local Movements of Birds, near 

 Oldcambus, 1874. By James Hardy. 



Jan. 14. A pair of Stone-chats seen on the coast Only a few 

 remain here all the winter, and occasionally all depart. Mal- 

 lards less numerous in the sea. Thrushes continue among 

 turnips, and in search of snails by wall-sides. 



Jan, 19. Lapwings very numerous in grass-fields, having come 

 up from the lower part of the parish. 



Jan. 20. Fieldfares numerous as the frost was breaking up. Only 

 a few Herons, Redshanks, and Curlews at the sea-side. The 

 Curlews and Herons alternate between the country inland and 

 the shores, their numbers being inconstant. 



Jan. 28. Starling whistling, 



Jan. 30. Missel- thrush in song. 



Feb. 1, Lapwings still present on the leas. 



Feb. 2. Larks attempting to sing. Ducks at sea, very few. 

 Partridges calling at evening. 



Feb. 4. Curlews very noisy at sea-side ; some uttering their 

 summer notes. 



Feb. 5. Flock of Wild Geese passing northwards. 



Feb. 6. Yellow-hammer attempting to sing. Redbreast in song. 

 Two male and six female Eider Ducks off the coast, diving 

 along the Laminarian zone. When any one walks along the 

 coast, they keep in line with him. They utter a noise like the 

 cooing of a pigeon. The fishermen call them " Cud-doos," i.e., 

 St. Cuthbert's doves, perhaps from the note and the pure con- 

 spicuous white of the male bird. They stay all the winter, but 

 are very seldom seen off here, and are said to breed on some of 

 the rocks near Fastcastle. In earlier times, they also nestled 

 on a rough part of the bank near the Cove harbour. Linnets 

 singing. Curlews uttering summer notes; fourteen on the 

 shore. Stone-chat has deserted its winter station beside an 

 open marsh at the sea-side. No Snow-buntings visible for 

 some time. 



Feb. 11. After snow-blasts, Snow-buntings again appeared. 



Feb. 12. Partridges paired. One Lapwing seen. 



Feb. 14. Three Lapwings seen. About twenty-seven Mallards 

 at sea. Large flock of Snow-buntings, as also on February 17. 

 Only one Heron. Wood-pigeon cooing. 



Feb. 16. Hedge-sparrow singing. 



Feb. 18. Ten Cormorants at Siccar. Only three Ducks; these 

 begin to scatter inland, ascending the burns. Chaffinch singing. 



Feb. 19. No Lapwings on the leas. Five Black-headed Gulls 

 fishing among the tangle. They were heard a few days pre- 

 viously. They only visit here in passing. 



Feb. 23. One Lapwing calling on an upland field. These birds 

 returned to the moors at Penmanshiel to-day. 



