238 Migration of Birch. By Dr Charles Stuart. 



ities, describing its arrival, and all about the same time. The Pied Fly- 

 catcher (Muscicapa luctuosa) is a very striking- looking bird, with its glossy 

 black and white feathers, very white on the breast and wing-coverts, its 

 back glossy black. From Northumberland to Dundee letters announcing 

 its advent appeared, but to my knowledge no one has seen it nesting. Mr 

 G. Bolam found its nest, however, in Alnwick Park, but it had been robbed. 

 In this neighbourhood it was seen at the Pistol plantings, Blackadder, at 

 Abbey St Bathans ; Preston Cleugh ; near Blanerne ; at Paxton. Mr Muir- 

 head saw four and shot one for a specimen ; at Chirnside bridge ; and 

 other places. 9th, Wheatears plentiful about Oldcastles ; and Willow 

 Wrens at Broomdykes plantations. 10th, Saw four Willow Wrens between 

 Chirnside and Blackhouse. 11th, Plenty of Willow Wrens everywhere, but 

 no Whitethroats. The weather is of the most unsunimerlike character. 

 For nine days new snow on Cheviot every day quite low down, extending 

 from Woolcr to the Carter Fell. No one recollects the persistence of such 

 a snow-storm in the month of May. On Sunday the 11th, the Lammer- 

 moors were quite white till -1 p.m. Early in the morning, Bunkle Edge 

 and Cockbuni Law were quite coated. Tndeed about 5 a.m. I am told all 

 about Chirnside hill was pure white. The corn braird is not looking so 

 bad as one might expect ; but the grass where it has been trodden is quite 

 black, and no growth whatever. 12th, Saw Cuckoo at Ferney Castles, near 

 Reston. Heard Landrail in the grass near my house on the 13th, and for 

 ten days previously it had been heard by Mr W. CoAve near Carter Well 

 near the village. While dressing and looking out of the window in the 

 morning, saw cat on the prowl among the young grass : cautiously stealing 

 forward, it flushed a Landrail, and all but caught it. The bird evidently 

 got a great fright, for I never afterwards during this season heard it near 

 my house. On the 14th saw a Wood Wren at the Pistol plantings. 14-16th, 

 No Whitethroats or Swifts visible — very late. 18th, A large colony of 

 Swifts have appeared at the Blue Braes near Hutton. On same day saw 

 Whitethroats near Broomdykes, and Redstart near Ninewells. Tree Pipit 

 at Chirnside station this morning at 4 a.m. very tame. Several Pied 

 Flycatchers observed about Eyemouth. A correspondent in Scotsman 

 states that they are summer visitors in Skye. 24th, A pair of Tree Pipits 

 seen at Chirnside station ; Whitethroats at Paxton ; smaller form of White- 

 throat near Whitsome in a hedge running from the Pistol plantings towards 

 Dykegatehead road end. Starlings nesting in same old houses frequented 

 in former years by the Swifts : not a Swift to be seen there — perhaps 

 frightened away by the Starlings. Never saw them amissing there at this 

 time for twenty years. 26th, Several Swifts have arrived at their old 

 quarters near the Waterloo Inn. Old James Cockburn, who lives there, 

 tells me that they arrived during the night of the 25th, as he, like myself, 

 kept wondering what had come over them. They are ten days later than 

 usual; and few in numbers, as they always are at first. Everything is a 

 month later this season. 



June 6, We have had a week of very fine weather, which has caused 

 great drying up of the moisture. At 3 a.m. a pretty severe frost, which 



