892 Ornithological Notes. By George Bolam. 



under notice, and I have seen a large number of nests in various localities. 

 In this district a steep bank or clifE seems to be the site most frequently 

 chosen for a nesting place, and instead of being in a rabbit hole the nest 

 is often made upon a ledge of the rock itself behind some slight bush or 

 other shelter, some of the nests bearing in this respect a very close resem- 

 blance to those of escaped tame pigeons, which breed in a half wild state 

 in similar situations. 



The stock-dove must be rapidly extending its range, for we hear con- 

 stantly of examples having been seen or killed in some new locality. As 

 an instance of this Dr Paxton had one brought to him in March, 1882, which 

 had been shot upon the Ladykirk estate. The keeper who killed it said 

 he had never, until a few days before when a pair took up their abode in 

 one of the plantations, seen a bird like it, and he took it to the doctor as 

 a " rara avis " and to find out from him what it was. This specimen, an 

 adult male, was very kindly presented to me by Dr Paxton. 



During the last year or two stock-doves have frequently been noticed in 

 the game shops in Berwick, exposed for sale amongst the common wood- 

 pigeons. 



Quail : Coturnix vulgaris, Flem. 

 In some seasons is not uncommon, though but seldom seen on account of 

 the difficulty with which it is made to take wing. They all seem to leave 

 ns very soon after the corn is cut. 



A specimen was shot near Weetwood dui-ing the summer of 1878 ; it was 

 in company with another and would in all probability be breeding near 

 the place where it was killed. Two broods were reared upon an adjoining 

 farm in 1880, and at Turvelaws, near Wooler, a pair were seen on several 

 occasions during the summer of the following year. In September, 187P, 

 four were seen on Nab Hill farm, in the parish of Ancroft, and two of 

 them were shot by Mr Jas. Grey, junr., of Berwick ; and Mr Nicholson in- 

 forms me that in 1877 a bevy was observed upon Murtonfarm about 3 miles 

 from Berwick ; this would appear to have been a late brood for the young 

 ones were scarcely able to fly at harvest time. 



As previously recorded (" Proceedings " 1878, p. 496) two immature birds 

 were shot in that year upon Unthank farm, which adjoins Murton, and I 

 am told by Mr Marshall, the tenant of Unthank, that he has known them 

 breed there for a considerable number of years. The late Dr Colville 

 Brown had in his possession the skin of an adult bird which was shot at 

 Greivestead many years ago ; in that locality and on the neighbouring 

 farm of Grindon, quails used once to be of frequent occurrence. 



On 15th July, 1879, I heard the call note of the quail proceeding from 

 amongst the standing corn, at several places upon the road between East 

 Learmouth and Mindrum Mill, and succeeded after some difficulty in walk- 

 ing up to a pair of the birds ; they rose suddenly within a few feet of me 

 and did not fly far before again dropping amongst the corn. Under similar 

 circumstances I have on more than one occasion heard them calling within a 

 few miles of Berwick, and within the Parliamentary limits of the Borough, 

 in the fields adjoining the roads leading to Paxton and Chirnside. Like 

 the corncrake, quails are most vociferous after sundown, and it is when 



