254 Natural History Observations. By J. Thomson. 



found buried in different parts of one field in front of the houses in Maxton 

 village. During the year 1882, close upon one hundred head of poultry 

 were carried away by foxes from one farm steading near here. I am in- 

 formed thai at Longnewton forest the gamekeeper had a boy hired to 

 frighten the foxes away from the Pheasants he was rearing. Notwith- 

 standing this precaution a number of young birds were destroyed. 



May 22, In 1881 an extensive correspondence was for a time carried on 

 in the daily newspapers regarding an apparent paucity in the numbers of 

 Skylarks on the cultivated parts of the country. No doubt there were 

 comparatively few Larks on the Border counties that season : but from 

 personal observation I could safely say that there was a great abundance 

 of these delightful song birds along Strathdon, in Aberdeenshire. They 

 occurred there in great plenty on arable land, so that the contention of 

 some naturalists who attributed their absence on the Borders to the in- 

 creased area of cultivated land, was hardly admissible or correct. That 

 their absence in 1881 must be ascribed to other causes is evident from the 

 fact that Larks in this district were almost phenomenally numerous in 

 18S5. In all my experience I never knew them so plentiful. I have seen 

 a dozen rise in one small field, and fill the air with their melody. As might 

 be expected nests were unusually abuudant. I regret to state that I knew 

 of numerous instances where the nests were robbed by that omnivorous 

 rascal most inappropriately named by ornithologists, Corvus frugilegus- 

 After attending the Fairnington displenish sale yesterday, I took a stroll 

 after darkness set in. In passing along a hedgeside I heard first one and 

 then another Lark chirp up. A few minutes after one Lark burst into full 

 song. This lasted for three minutes or so, when the music ceased as sud- 

 denly as it began. Then I heard, in a field of brairding oats fully four 

 hundred yards off, another Lark trilling away. This was too distinct and 

 unmistakable a challenge to be overlooked. All at once three Larks rose 

 near to where I was standing, and soon the air was melody itself. At this 

 time there was not a breath of wind ; it was quite dark, and the spot being 

 secluded, no sound was heard save the combined volume of song, which 

 rose and fell in cadences, breathing exuberant joy and mournful plaintive- 

 ness alternately. 



June. Never before this season did I ever witness such a profusion of 

 blossom, both in gardens and woodlands. There being a large extent of 

 old grass land enclosed by tall thorn hedgerows, while thorn trees are also 

 numerous, the display of blossom was most lavish and beautiful beyond 

 description. Elder and rowan-tree blossom was also exceedingly plenti- 

 ful. 6th, When I attended school at Broomhonse, some fifteen years ago, 

 abundance of Asplenium Trichomanes grew on the crags of trap rocks at 

 the junction of Broomhouse and Ploughlands Burns. Since that time the 

 irrejDressible spoiler has been busy on more than one occasion, as to-day 

 I found only a few small, though apparently healthy patches, growing 

 side by side with Polypodiums. Fortunately they were out of reach. Had 

 the place been easily accessible, all the Aspleniums had been gone. While 

 standing at the crag, a Wren flew out from what seemed at first a bunch 

 of withered leaves, but which, on n closer inspection proved to be her 



