Record of Migration, <&c., of Birds, by James Hardy. 405 



wrote, they were plentiful. A correspondent of the ITelso Chronicle, 

 writing from Bowmont Water in the first week of February, 1881 , 

 says : ''In the beginning of the snow, when on the top of How- 

 nam Law, I met in with a large flock of Snow-flakes, or Snow- 

 buntings, or, as they are often called by the boys, ' Cocks of the 

 North.' They were feeding on the ground that was cleared of 

 snow by the wind. I am quite sure there would be over two 

 hundred of these hardy creatures. In this district as winter 

 approaches, they are first seen on the highest lying stubble fields." 

 At Primside they were frequenting the stackyards. In severe 

 winters, particularly on drifty days, I have seen this happen at 

 Penmanshiel ; but in other circumstances they were too shy to 

 approach within familiar distance. At Lamberton, Mr Mein 

 states, they had aU winter (1880-1) very large flocks of Snow- 

 buntings. In 1879, Oct. 24th, Snow-flakes arrived at Oldcambus. 



Great G-rey Shrike or Butcher Bird {Lanius Excubitor). — 

 Before Oct. 20th, a Great Shrike was shot at Whitley Sands by 

 Mr W. P. Jardine, Whitley ; and on the week previous to Nov. 

 12th, another fine specimen was shot by Mr William Burrell in 

 the neighbourhood of Glenaln, in the vale of Aln {Kelso Chron. 

 Oct. 20th and Nov. 12th, Alnwick Mercury, Nov. 13th) The Scots- 

 man, Nov. 12th, records that a number of Butcher-birds {Lanius 

 Exculitor) or Grey Shrikes, were seen on the lands of Shirva, near 

 Kilsyth. — Mr Thomas Elliott wrote to me from Lilburn Tower 

 that he had shot near his house, on the 8th Nov., a fine specimen 

 of the Great Butcher Bird. Mr George Parkin, Brampton, also 

 wrote, that he had got a fine specimen, a male, shot near that 

 place, 18th Nov., 1880. Dr. Stuart, Chirnside, mentions that 

 while his second son was driving to Greenburn, 13th Feb., 1881, 

 *' when near Auchencrow Mains, he observed a peculiar bird on 

 one of the hedge-row trees, which sat till he satisfied himself that 

 it was the Great Shrike, a native of Lapland. It took wing and 

 flew towards Stoneshiel. On looking at the figure of the bird in 

 Morris's British Birds, he at once baade himself sure of its iden- 

 tity." It thus appears that a flight of these birds had arrived in 

 the north of Britain during the autumn. It was recorded long 

 ago by Mr Selby as an occasional winter visitant (Club's Proc, 

 vol. i., p. 257). 



Hawtestch ( Coccothraustes vulgaris). — '-'Berwick, November 2nd. 

 During the terrific storm on Thursday last, 28th Oct., I had oc- 

 casion to walk on the sea-banks between Spittal and Sand Bank 



