Record of Migration, Sc, of Birds, by James Hardy. 401 



Black-headed Gull {Larus ndibundus). — Oldcambus, June 

 1 1th, two returned to sea, resting on the poles of the salmon nets, 

 as they are -wont to do on piles in inland lakes. More appeared 

 on July 15th, 16th, and 17th, being then in considerable numbers. 

 By the end of the season only one or two remained. They are 

 more numerous on the coast of East Lothian than here. In 1879, 

 Black-headed Gulls were observed on the coast on January 22nd ; 

 and occasional birds were still present on February 8th. In that 

 year they were first seen on their return to the coast on July 19th. 

 On August 15th, they were hawking in the air and snapping at 

 the Crane-flies {Tipula oleracea) which were floating in the air in 

 numbers. On June 25th and 26th, 1880, Sir Walter Elliot ob- 

 iserved inland at Wolf elee, remarkable flights of Sea GuUs {La/rua 

 canus). On June 9th, 1879, 1 saw the same thing here after dusk, 

 the birds, I believe, were attracted to feed on slugs. 



Green Sandpiper {Totanus ochropus). — A single bird haunted 

 for a few days some pools in the dean at Oldcambus, on July 

 17th, 1879, and subsequent days ; not seen in 1880. 



Sanderling {Calidris arenaria). — August 3rd, shot two Sander- 

 lings on the coast near Alnwick, not yet attired in their full winter 

 dress, but were probably young birds of the year. — T. H. G. 



Great Snipe {Scolopax major). — " I have the record of one shot 

 at Barmoor Castle, Northumberland, on 21st Sept." — Mr J. A. 

 Earvie Brown, Proc. of Nat. Hist. Soc. of Glasgow, vol. iv. p. 315. 



Wild Geese. — Grey-lag {Anser ferus) at Berwick, arrived 

 Sept. 26th, 1879, departed February 14th, 1880; and arrived 

 Sept. 15th, 1880. Brent Geese {Anser torquatus) usually come 

 later, and remain tUl about March. — 0. B. November 16th, a 

 large flock of Grey-lag Geese (?) in the form of a V passed over 

 Alnwick to the south, cackling vociferously. These birds sojourn 

 with us, now and again, selecting generally the largest stubble 

 or grain flelds to alight in, to the centres of which they are prone 

 to confine themselves, with their fuglemen always on the alert. — 

 T. JET. G, Species Unknown. — At Oldcambus, a small returning 

 band seen, Feb. 8th, 1880. On March 27th, a great flight rose 

 from the moors behind Penmanshiel and Howpark, where they 

 continued eating much grass up to near AprU 24th. In the 

 autumn, the first seen Oct. 11th; on Oct. 30th, wild geese were 

 passing, but did not rest. April 7th and I5th, 1879, very large 

 flocks of Wild Geese appeared. On the uplands they continued 

 three weeks in A|a:il. They were first heard in returning on 



