292 Miscellanea, Correspondence, &c, by Mr. Jas. Hardy. 



brought forth " from twelve to twenty-three at a litter," and 

 performed this productive feat from six to eight times a 

 year. In a letter to " The Times," Mr. James Nicholson 

 has shewn that this is egregiously overstated, and that it is 

 rare that more than nine is the produce at a birth. He 

 writes me, that he has since learned that his opinion is 

 shared by a mole-catcher of great experience, who told him 

 that nine rats is about the maximum number in a nest. 

 " He further stated, which, if true, is rather curious, that 

 rats as well as moles always produce an odd number of 

 young at a birth. The old saying, ' There's luck in odd 

 numbers,' would appear to hold good with this prosperous 

 branch of the family of Rodents." 



On Birds at Mossburnford, near Jedburgh, &c. — I 

 had some correspondence on this subject with my late 

 friend, Mr. Archibald Jerdon, in January and June, 1856, 

 which, as we have not had a report on the birds of Rox- 

 burghshire, is worthy of extract. Except notices of arrivals 

 of migrants, this is almost the only allusion to ornithology 

 that I have found among his numerous letters addressed to 

 me. " I quite agree with you," he says, " that the ' Rose 

 Lintie ' is the male of Fringilla cannabina. F. Linaria 

 (Lesser Redpole) is by no means a common bird, and quite 

 unlikely to attract the notice of our rustics. I have seen it 

 once or twice in early spring, but it is a rare visitant, and 

 does not breed with us. I believe it breeds in the county 

 of Durham, as I have seen it there in summer. Do you 

 know the Siskin ? I have seen one or two small flocks this 

 winter (1855-6), feeding on the seeds of Alder. It is a very 

 pretty and interesting little bird, and resembles the Redpole 

 in many respects. Sylvia hortensis and S. sibilatrix are 

 common in this neighbourhood. Parus palustris is not 

 uncommon ; and Loxia curvirostra has more than once 

 occurred to me — Motacilla flava only once. The Stonechat 

 is a rare bird here, and I only know one locality which it 

 frequents. The Redstart and the Grey Flycatcher (Musci- 

 capa grisola) are tolerably abundant here ; but being both 

 shy and retiring birds, are apt to escape notice. They both 

 breed in the Red Sandstone scaurs which overhang the Jed 

 in various parts of its course ; at least the Flycatcher does, 

 and I often see the Redstart in the same localities. We are 

 very deficient in birds of prey. The Sparrow-hawk, Kestrel, 

 and Merlin (at times) complete our list. The Coot is found 



