Anwi/uersary Address. 13 



From tlie shooting records of the district, black game is ap- 

 parently more plentiful than grouse. The yellow-hammer we 

 heard, and the willow-wren also in a young fir plantation. The 

 curlews were, more or less, clamorous in general. A wood- 

 pigeon and a small flock of young starlings were also remarked. 

 A.S applicable to the Zoology of this and the neighbouring hill 

 district of Roxburghshire, I may here introduce a notice, dated 

 July 6th, from Mr Adam Elliot, Samieston, in reply to some in- 

 quiries. " As to the birds, the G-olden Eagle and the Peregrine 

 have been shot among the hills you passed over ; the former of 

 course a chance visitor, but the other from Henhole. I fired a 

 shot at a Peregrine this spring among these hills, but out of 

 range. I have at different times started the fox among the 

 heather on the hill-sides ; and the stoat-weasel in his pure white 

 winter coat sometime hunts the hill- sides in the day-time. The 

 adder I believe is pretty common. I found a large skin of one 

 on Bughtrig about a month since. I got also one or two Micro- 

 lepidoptera that I had not seen before, and saw the Emperor 

 moth on the wing. I have no doubt that the Badger inhabits 

 the hills also, and probably the Polecat. Mr Douglas, a few 

 years since at Swinside, came on a Badger one morning at the 

 sheep corn -boxes on the hill, which he killed with his coUey. In 

 a small lochlet between this and Hounam, I have shot the G-oss- 

 ander, Pochard, Golden Eye, Blue-winged Shoveller, Tufted 

 Duck, and Eed-throated Diver ; also two Wild Geese on one 

 occasion ; as likewise the Pintail Duck and the Merlin-falcon 

 near the same locality. Snipes and woodcocks are generally distri- 

 buted, but scarce and uncertain in appearance. The woodcocks 

 I have frequently seen late in the year among the Border-hills ; 

 they generally lie among the fern near to springs on the hill- 

 sides." Mr Thomson, Towford, also furnishes some local notes. 

 Peregrines have been shot in the vicinity of Hindhope ; ''corbies" 

 are numerous ; and ravens are now and then present ; dotterels 

 are occasional visitants ; and ring-ouzels breed there in summer. 

 Water-ouzels frequent the streams ; whin and stone chats are to 

 be seen ; larks and meadow pipits abound ; and there are plenty 

 of plovers. "Herons are plentiful on the Kale," he says, " and I 

 have counted six at a time in front of Towford School. They 

 frequently roost in the wood at the back of the school here, but 

 never build. The late Mr Ord told me that he remembered a 

 Heronry in this wood, but they have now deserted it as far as 



