Migration of Birds, £c. By Dr Charles Stuart. 565 



Starlings, Bine Tits, House Sparrows, Whin Sparrows, Robins, Chaffinches, 

 Blackbirds, Thrushes, Greenfinches, etc. Next to the Sparrow and Rook, 

 the Greenfinches are our commonest birds in Berwickshire. They mostly 

 keep to the farm stack-yards in winter. The Corn-bunting is now natura- 

 lised at Harelaw, 16th March. So strong is nature, instinct, and season, 

 notwithstanding the severe storm, with deep snow and frost, that when 

 driving near Whitsomc on Sunday afternoon, I thought I heard a bird's 

 spring note ; and presently a Blackbird perched on an ash began to sing, 

 with his strong full mellow note. Considering snow eight feet deep, was 

 below the tree, drifted and thrown out from the road, the circumstance 

 was worth recording. In watching the birds this morning, the 18th inst. ( 

 I noticed the Starlings to be paired. The cock-bird came fearlessly up to 

 the window sill, and secured a piece of bread, retreating to the flower bed 

 to eat it. His mate was more nervous, but followed him and shared his 

 prize. It was most interesting to watch their motions, the boldness of the 

 male, although in a starving condition, the shyness of the female , the 

 generosity of the male to his companions. A single Jackdaw attends every 

 morning to get his share of the spoil. I am pretty sure he is one that has 

 been hand reared. They are often brought up from the nest in summer as 

 pets, but after a time fly away. However this Jackdaw managed to take 

 uncommon good care of himself, and is very independent. He makes a 

 good breakfast with, his other feathered friends ; is very impudent and takes 

 care no one is allowed to approach him too closely. When young the 

 Jackdaw becomes very tame ; once, however, he knows what liberty means, 

 the bird makes himself scarce. Deep snow has been on the ground since 

 the first of March, and the Thrushes, -who mostly depend upon worms and 

 grubs for food have been sorely starved. They greedily ate bread like the 

 others, which I never previously saw them attempt to do. In hard weather, 

 in winter they generally migrate to warmer regions. At this period of the 

 Spring, they do not attempt to leave us, as they have been with us all the 

 storrm All worm-eating birds must have suffered great privation. 

 The Black- headed Gull was seen at the Whitadder to-day and previously, 

 and the common Gulls were flying about on the turnip land or the Crofts 

 last night. The Pied Wagtail has been several times seen at Allanton 

 Bridge. For three seasons, I have seen the Black-headed Gull at Allanton; 

 and consider that they must breed somewhere in the rushy marshy spots in 

 Broomdykes Haughs. Several Hares observed about this time travelling 

 backwards and forwards, this being their breeding season. They are com- 

 paratively scarce, and Rabbits also, to what they were even twenty years 

 ago, their traces not being seen in anything like the same abundance 

 among the snow as they were wont to be. As fresher weather sets in, the 

 birds are neither so numerous nor so hungry in the morning. The Rooks, 

 except in the hardest of the weather, did not come so trustingly as the 

 smaller birds to feed. They did not however, hesitate, to pex'secute the 

 smaller birds, and to rob them of their pieces of bread when they got a 

 chance. At the worst of the storm, when driven by hunger, the Rooks 

 came on to the window sill, and fed with the others. Where in the garden, 

 the vegetables were uncovered with the snow, the Wood-pigeons pecked all 



