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Notes on the Occurrence of Birds in East Lothian during 

 the year 1885. By George Pow, Dunbar. 



(1.) Unrecorded occurrence of the Blue-throat in East Lothian. 



Through the kindness of Mr James McLeod, Belhaven, Dunbar, I am 

 able to record the occurrence of an example of this bird which that gentle- 

 man shot in his garden at Belhaven, in the end of May or beginning of June 

 1868. He had it preserved by Mr William Johnstone, Belhaven, and it 

 has been in his- possession ever since that time. The upper plumage is 

 grey-brown ; the chin and upper part of breast is azure-blue ; centre spot 

 yellowish-brown, with pure white below. Under the azure-blue is a narrow 

 band of black which is followed by another band of rust-brown ; plumage 

 of the under parts, dirty white. Mr McLeod informs me that the common 

 Redstart (Huticilla Phosnicurus) was more numerous than usual in this 

 vicinity when he shot this specimen. The Blue-throat is not mentioned in 

 Gray's " Birds of the West of Scotland," nor in Turnbull's " Birds of East 

 Lothian"; but in the 4th Edition of YarrelFs "British Birds" (vol. I. p. 352). 

 it is stated " Mr Gray informed the editor that a cock was caught on board 

 of a fishing boat off Aberdeen, May 16th, 1872." 



(2.) The Pied Flycatcher. 



In Dr Turnbull's "Birds of East Lothian," published in 1867, this Fly- 

 catcher is not mentioned. It is therefore evident that he had not heard of 

 it having been seen in this county previous to his publication. 



In Gray's " Birds of Scotland," it is recorded that " Mr William Sinclair 

 saw a Pied Flycatcher in May 1867, in a garden at Dunbar, where he 

 watched it for some time." Had this bird been seen by Mr Archibald 

 Hepburn, Dr Nelson, Lord Binning, or Mr Gray himself, it •would in all 

 probability have been mentioned in that volume. 



In "Our Summer Migrants" (Appendix) Mr Halting states that "A 

 specimen was shot at North Berwick by Mr W. Paterson, and exhibited at 

 the Glasgow Natural History Society, on the 24th September, 1872." 



On May 6th 1885, a gentleman brought me a male in the flesh. The 

 stomach was distended with small beetles and flies. It was in a complete 

 state of development, both as regards the sexual organs and the coloration 

 of the plumage. On the following day another example of this bird was 

 seen at Bourhouse by Mr Robert Darling, "Lochcnd. It was not molested, 

 but did not stay more than three days. On the next day (May 8) I had a 

 o-ood opportunity of watching a female at Lochend. The gamekeeper there 

 informed me he had seen a pair a few days previously. The following week 

 a search was made for the birds or their nest, but in vain ; so that it is not 

 likely that they bred in this district, for black and white is too conspicuous 

 to be overlooked. The only example I have heard of this year was a male, 

 seen at Broxmouth on the 1st of May. It will be gratifying to all lovers 

 of birds to know that, so far as I know, only one has been shot in this 

 district. 



