Mr. A. Kelly on some of the Birds of Lauderdale. 303 



Lanius excubitor. — Mr. Tilly, Lauder, was successful 

 in shooting a beautiful specimen of this unusual visitant, 

 (which was in company with a Magpie), late in October, 

 1872, on the estate of Allanbank, near Lauder. He noticed 

 it on the morning of the same day in the Loan, about a mile 

 from where it was shot. He could not, he said, understand 

 what was the matter with all the little birds, they were fly- 

 ing about so strangely in a perfect panic, and the noise they 

 made was perfectly deafening. On advancing, a Butcher 

 Bird dashed away singing his usual call-note, "troole," 

 " troole," and after a number of jerks and doublings among 

 the trees, fairly gave his persecutors the slip. In two of 

 these birds which came under my notice, eacli had swallowed 

 a mouse entire ; and I do not believe in its alleged impaling 

 of its prey upon a thorn. 



Turdus torquatus— On Longcroft water, far up among 

 the junipers, the Ring Ouzels have their stated visits every 

 year. They are most clamorous when one approaches them 

 during the breeding season. 



Sylvia trochilus. — In the wood at the side of the 

 Luggy in great numbers. The other birds in the same 

 secluded retreat are, the Wheat Ear, Whin-Chat, Stone-chat, 

 Redstart, Long-tailed Titmouse, Siskin, Lesser Red-pole, &c. 



Bombycilla garrula. — The Waxwing must have visited 

 Lauderdale at a very early period. A wing of one, carefully 

 kept as a family relic, can be proved to have had a century 

 of existence. 



Fringilla Montifringilla. — At Pilmore, the Bramblings 

 congregated in fifties among the lint refuse, left after 

 thrashing ; the little creatures very sensibly preferring it to 

 beech-mast, a sort of do no better with them. 



Fringilla carduelis. — The clearing away of thistles 

 everywhere has bereft us of the Goldfinch. 



Loxia curvirostra. — In the winter of 1850, a small 

 flock of Crossbills visited Lauderdale, and tarried some 

 weeks in the old fir wood opposite Thirlstane Castle, and 

 then suddenly disappeared. Before they left it was supposed 

 they were pairing. In 1857, they again visited us, making 

 their sojourn even more prolonged ; but never settled down 

 to nestle. 



Corvus corax. — Found in a rabbit trap in Edgarhope 



