Herons and Border Heronries. By James Small. 333 



ROXBUKGHSHIRE HERONRIES. 

 Herons are very numerous in Eoxburghshire, whlcli must be 

 a favourite abode of those birds. Like the preceding county, its 

 rivers and streamlets yield a plentiful supply of food, and its 

 abundance of stately trees afifords good shelter and protection for 

 nesting purposes. Solitary or single nests are also pretty com- 

 mon in this county. 

 Dodburn heronry, on Allan Water in Upper Teviotdale, numbers 



about 20 nests. 

 Wells heronry, on Eule Water, occupies the tall wood from 

 Billerwell Ford, to Wells Mansion-House, and numbers 

 20 nests. Early in the century there were nearly 100 

 nests in this heronry. 

 Swindon heronry, at the head of the river Bowmont numbered 

 from 8 to 10 nests. This was formerly a larger heronry ; 

 but from the clearing of trees on which the birds rested 

 the number is now small. The late Duke of Eoxburghe 

 caused some young trees to be planted and enclosed, 

 with a view to giving the birds more nest room in the 

 future. [Deserted 1880-83. In spring 1884 the herons 

 took up their abode in a young plantation on the farm 

 of Calroust, to the north of Swindon, where there are 

 now five nests]. 

 Ormiston House heronry in Lower Teviotdale. No report as to 



size. [Very limited. — J. H.] 

 Hendersyde Park, Kelso. Ten to fifteen nests. 

 SELKIRKSHIRE HERONRIES. 

 Herons are common, as anglers know, all along the valleys of 

 Ettrick and Yarrow, where they find fish food in abundance, but 

 the only heronry in the county is at The Haining, at Selkirk. 

 An occasional nest may be found elsewhere ; and as the heronry 

 at The Haining is small, herons from distant nesting places must 

 beyond doubt frequent and catch fish in the Selkirkshire streams. 

 PEEBLESSHIRE HERONRIES. 

 Like Selkirkshire, this county has many streams teeming with 

 fish, and numerous herons may be there seen daily, hunting up 

 the waters, and, like the former county, it has only one|heronry, 

 at 



Dawick, the seat of Sir James Nasmyth, about seven miles above 

 Peebles. The woods at Dawick form a fine retreat for 

 birds ; and the heronry numbers about 50 nests. 



