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



wood, last year. The Raven must be looked on as a straggler 

 here. Ravens used to nest in force at the West Hope. 



Corvus corone. — This is the " Hoodie " of the Borders, 

 the Grey-backed Crow being called the " Sea-craw." In 

 Lauderdale these two are occasionally found paired during 

 the breeding season. C. corone here invariably builds its 

 nest of heather birns, and lines it with wool. 



Garrulus glandarius. — Two specimens of the Jay were 

 shot by Peter Scott in Airhouse old birch wood ; one last 

 year, the other some years' previously. One of these is in 

 the fine collection of Mr. Tilly, Lauder. 



Pic us major. — Mr. Simson procured a specimen of the 

 Great Spotted Woodpecker in the policy of Thirlstane 

 Castle, being, as yet, the only one in the district. 



CuCulus canorus. — The female Cuckoo in the hill district 

 invariably elects the nest of the Meadow Pipit wherein to 

 deposit her eggs. She alters the nest for her purpose, her 

 first procedure being to tear it out into an oblong shape, 

 making it two or three times bigger than the original ; and 

 yet. strange, for all this the Pipit seems to take no notice, 

 but hatches away in the sorry nest, although I have seen it 

 little better than a mere surface. 



Alcedo ispida. — A pair of Kingfishers for long frequented 

 the banks of Longcroft water from its mouth to or near 

 Cleekhimin, and nested in what is called the Redbrae. 

 There being no trees on that part of the stream, the bird 

 was obliged to watch its prey from a rock. I noticed that 

 it never dived till the fish was at the surface, and then, as 

 Dr. Brehm remarks, it returned with it to its former station, 

 where it killed its captive by shifting its position in its bill 

 so as to grasp the fish by the tail, and then it struck it 

 firmly against the object on which it rested. 



Hirundo urbica. — One of the finest natural breeding 

 places of the Martin is on the face of an almost precipitous 

 natural rock at the side of the Whiteaclder, below Edrington 

 Mill. 



Caprimulgtjs EuROPiEus. — Last summer, on a fine July 

 night, I saw a Goatsucker whirring round and round a tree 

 in full pursuit of moths ; but seeing me a little way off, at 

 the same trade, he decamped. 



Coturnix COMMUNIS. — Two Quails were shot in a stubble 



