390 Ornithological Notes. By George Bolam. 



Waxwing : Ampe.lis garrulus, Linn. 

 Several occurred within the district daring the winter of 1882-83. In the 

 neighbourhood of Belford, one or more were picked upon Ross Links about 

 the middle of December ; while Mr Burn shot one at Glororum during the 

 same month, and another was found dead at Grange Burn Mill. A fine 

 specimen was killed on 23rd December by a man working on the Railway 

 near Carham Station ; two were shot at EUingham near Chathill — one early 

 in January, the other on 5th February; while near Felton a pair were 

 observed, but were not disturbed, during the end of January, 1883. 



Meadow Pipit : Anthus pratensis, (Linn.) 

 A very pretty and interesting variety of this bird was killed on the moors 

 at Eglingham in Northumberland about the latter end of August, 1881, and 

 came into my possession shortly afterwards. The whole plumage, including 

 the quill feathers of both wings and tail, is of a uniform pale yellowish 

 white, almost exactly resembling in colour what is termed a "mealy" 

 canary : the colouring of the legs, toes, and bill being also very pale. An 

 example was recorded long ago by Mr Thompson of Belfast, which in the 

 "rich primrose yellow" of certain parts of its plumage seems to have 

 agreed very closely with the present specimen, but his bird retained about 

 the wings and tail a few feathers of the ordinary grey plumage. 



Chaffinch : Fringilla ccelebs, Linn. 

 To Mr Robert Renton I am indebted for a curious variety of the chaffinch, 

 which was killed at Pans near Earlston in December, 1882 ; a short descrip- 

 tion of it is as follows — wings dirty white, the quills edged on their outer 

 webs with bright canary yellow, the white band on the lesser coverts, so 

 conspicuous on the wing sf the ordinary chaffinch, is when carefully looked 

 for, quite distinctly visible in pure white feathers amongst those tinged, 

 or as it were soiled, with brown. Upper parts of head and neck and the 

 sides of head pale yellowish brown, shoulders and back also pale brown, 

 gradually becoming paler towards the rump, which together with the 

 flanks is almost white, the feathers being margined with bright golden 

 yellow. Upper tail coverts dirty white, tail greyish white but with the 

 usual pure white marks on the outside feathers ; all the shafts dark. The 

 lower parts of the body are pale yellowish brown, darkest on the neck and 

 upper breast, and gradually becoming paler towax-ds the lower tail coverts, 

 which latter are almost pure white. The iris was dark brown, and legs, 

 bill, &c., of the usual colour. 



Gold-finch : Fringilla cardtielis, Linn : and Siskin : F. Spinus, Linn. 

 During the hard weather of 1 8^0-81 a flock of siskins frequented some 

 alder bushes close to the town of Wooler, and several of them were caught 

 by the boys in hair nooses, or killed with catapults ; amongst the latter 

 was a single goldfinch. Although scarce, both of these birds are still 

 sometimes to be met with in the district. I have on one or two occasions 

 during spring and autumn seen gold finches in our garden in Berwick. 



Tree Sparuow : Passer montanus, (Linn.) 

 Fairly common all along the coast line, but does not appear as a rule to 

 advance very far inland, and except as a straggler is not generally found 

 more than a few miles from the sea. It builds in almost any hole or crevice, 



