558 Occurrence of the Cockchafer. By George Bolam. 



birds are highly useful. Scores of them soon appear, flying all over the 

 freshly turned soil, ami descending at every short interval to pickup one 

 of the destroying caterpillars. It is curious to note how while they 

 wander about on foot in quest of food on pasture land, they never do so on 

 cultivated fields, there merely alighting to snatch up their prey or to .rest 

 for a while. 



Within recent years the three following individual examples of diverse 

 species, which I had an opportunity of handling, have occurred in parishes 

 adjoining Stobo : — Pochard, found dead on the summit of Dollar Law, in 

 February 1884: Scaup, shot at a pond on the farm of Lyne : Golden Eye, 

 shot at Radian. In addition to these I subjoin the names of several 

 preserved specimens among the collection of the birds of this county, in 

 the Museum of Chambers' Institution, Peebles, and bring these observa- 

 to a close. Peregrine Falcon (young), Dawyck, 1859 : Jay, Haystoun : 

 Quail, near Portmox-e, 1859, Col. Mackenzie : Redshank, Nether Horsburgh : 

 Tufted Pochard, St. Mary's Loch, 19th Feb. 187U, Mr Wm. Richardson : 

 Black Scoter, St. Mary's Loch, Nov. 1875, Wm. Richardson: W-igeon, 

 Glenormiston 2nd Nov. 1859 : Tern, Portmore. 



[The Greater Spottkd Woodpecker was seen near Stobo in the end of 

 188G, and again in the beginning of February 1887.] 



On the Occurrence of the Cockchaffer (Melolontlia vulgaris, 

 Fab.) in North umber land. By George Bolam, 

 Berwick-on-Tweed. 



Ox a beautiful warm day during the first week in June 1886, while 

 fishing in the river Aln where it runs through the Duke of Northumber- 

 land's Park at Alnwick, my attention was 'directed to a sparrow which was 

 busily engaged in worrying a large beetle upon an adjoining walk. On 

 being disturbed the sparrow flew off leaving upon the ground the mangled 

 and half eaten remains of a Cockchaffer. 



This was the first time I had met with this pretty, though where 

 abundant, destructive, insect in Northumberland, but quite lately I have 

 learnt that there exists a flourishing colony of them at Adderston Hall near 

 Pelf ord, from whence I have seen several specimens. They were numerous 

 there last summer in the large old grass field in front of the house, finding 

 shelter no doubt in the fine trees with which the field is studded. 



The Cockchaffer is rai'ely seen in the district and seems to have been 

 only twice previously recorded in our " Proceedings " — once by Mr Selby 

 at Twizell House, and again by Mr Hardy from the banks of the Wooler 

 water near Middleton Hall, and from the neighbourhood of Chirnside. In 

 the latter record Mr Hardy remarks that he had not before met with this 

 insect in North Northumberland, though not uncommon in the southern 



