560 The Migration of Birds. By James Hardy. 



Bank Martin up to the Fairy Castles ravine ; a few pairs of these breed 

 in a sand pit at the Kinniegar (Coney garth) near Chapelhill ; and I am 

 told that House Martins more than usual frequent the farm house there. 

 A pair of Whin-chats below Aikengall ; and several Wheat-ears in the 

 gravelly stream near that upland farm place ; Sedge Warbler in a willow 

 bush there ; Stone-chat on furze near the Fairy Castle ; Water Crow in 

 Skippath, but birds scarce there ; only one Thrush visible; Wren in song. 

 July 14, went from Penmanshiel, across the country by Abbey St. Bathans, 

 Burnhouses, Rigfoot, and Whitchester to Longformacus. The carcass 

 of a dead horse at Penmanshiel near a wood-side has attracted fully a 

 score of Blackbirds, old and young, a Thrush, several Chaffinches, and a 

 Robin for maggots. My brother, in spring, saw on the post-road near 

 Grant's House, two Blackbirds fighting. One had quite disabled the other 

 by tearing the feathers out one of its wings, so that it could not fly. It 

 would have been killed by its rival had he not carried it half a mile and 

 then freed it. There were Whinchats in the river Eye in the haugh at 

 Quixwood gate ; a flight of young Whinchats was seen, beyond Abbey at 

 head of Allerburn ; and another on Windshiel ground behind Cockburn 

 Law; Stone-chats appeared on furze on the same ground; and great 

 number of young Chaffinches on the road before the horse, possibly antici- 

 pating food from the horse-droppings. Near a wire-fence a Curlew was 

 chasing a Corbie from its young or eggs. The Corbie sat down on the 

 watch, and the Curlew put it up, and when the Corbie flew the Curlew 

 went in pursuit, two or three times. Then the Curlew made a determined 

 attack, attended with considerable wheeling in the air, and the thief find- 

 ing himself overmatched made off ; Water-crows had been scarce on the 

 Dye this year. There was once a heronry at Longformacus ; the Herons* 

 pool is still known on the Dye. Swallows were seen at Longformacus, 

 Whitchester, and Burnhouses ; there were two flights of young Whinchats 

 between Whitchester and Rigfoot, in a rough grass field not pastured ; a 

 Pied Wagtail at Whitchester was hunting like a swallow for flies, in a zig- 

 zag manner over the tops of the tall grasses, and then alighting on the 

 twigs of some shrubs. At Rigfoot there were great flights of young 

 Chaffinches among the brackens near the Mill Cottage ; another similar 

 assemblage has been previously noted. These young birds probably all 

 leave the hills in autumn. Towards sunset the Rooks were resting in a 

 body on a hill pasture near Windshiel ; and another company at the 

 Retreat above the Whitadder banks. There were Pipits on the Windshiel 

 Moors and at Whitchester, but not many. July 17, at Fast-castle across 

 the moors; Whinchat on Penmanshiel Moor; Young Wheat-ears were 

 observed at Oldcambus and above Headchesters, and quite a company on 

 the post road above Upper Moorhouse ; probably all making for some 

 centre of assemblage farther south; Pipits few; a few Curlews left on 

 moors ; 5 seen flying towards the coast. Salmon flshers appear to have 

 frightened the Peregrine Falcon from Fast-castle ; absent this year there; 

 Cuckoo seen at Dowlaw mill ; Only a few White-throats remain in the 

 dean at this date. July 18, some new Redshanks come to shore, one had 



