574 Migration of Birds, dec. By Dr Charles Stuart. 



Hollyhock plants, from seed from Los Paxas mountains, co. Ventura, 

 Southern California, gathered by my son last autumn. The seed was sown 

 in heat on the 14th Feb., and flowered the first plant on the 14th Oct. 

 The flowers were single, fringed and of a pink colour, and very pretty. 

 16th Oct., After another deluge of rain, flooding everything, and giving a 

 complete coup de grace to all flowering plants in the garden, saw two 

 Swallows at Chirnside bridge. The rivers are very high, and thousands 

 of Bull-trout are going over Chirnside Cauld. Many persons are standing 

 watching them ascend by the salmon ladder, in very flooded water. A 

 flock of Wild Geese was observed near Dykegatehead, in Whitsome parish, 

 on the 23rd, flying quite low, and eventually marked down, in a ploughed 

 field to the south of the Pistol Plantings. On the 17th November, and 

 again on 17th December, strings of 24 and 38 Geese were observed on the 

 first date flying west, and on the latter flying south high in the air ; the 

 weather being hard frost, with snow storms farther south. 



1st November was a summer day, a pleasure to be outside. The 2nd 

 was also bright and pleasant. The foreign Wood Pigeons have arrived at 

 Whiterig near Ayton, where every season they make their appearance 

 in November. Partridges appear to be very plentiful. The Hon. E. 

 Marjoribanks on Edington, with assistance of other guns shot 78, 68, and 

 54 brace on three successive days. Weather is again becoming unsettled. 

 6th November was perhaps the stormiest day of a stormy season, sheets of 

 raiu and sleet were driven by a furious north wind against the house ; and 

 I had the full experience of the storm at night. 12th, Mr M airhead 

 informs me that he had a good view of a Buzzard, which seems to have 

 been blown over by Saturday's storm, as it is a true Scandinavian bird. 

 Many Woodcocks have also arrived, impelled by the gale. The weather 

 continued very unsettled till the end of the month ; rain storms constantly 

 soaking the ground, and making progression far from a comfortable pro- 

 ceeding. 



1st December came in with frost and snow, and has continued so with 

 the occasional exception of a fresh day. Not so much snow has fallen in 

 our district, up to the 17th. On the night of the 1st and 2nd, drifting 

 took place at the east end of the village, that so blocked the roads, as 

 almost to prevent us from getting to Ayton on the Thursday morning. 

 Another traveller on Wednesday night had to turn back, as his horse would 

 not face the drifts. This snow still lies frozen at the worst parts on the 

 17th. Barndoor Owls are not common here, but one was found dead at 

 Chirnside bridge ; and I once picked up another dead specimen near the 

 Blue Stone ford, and considered at the time that it had come from Hutton 

 Hall old tower. Thirty-eight Wild Geese seen flying south on Chirnside 

 Crofts. This is certainly a sign of continued wintry weather. The flocking 

 of the birds — Rooks, Wood Pigeons, Starlings, Green Plovers, and many 

 smaller birds — all go to show that a snowstorm probably is not far distant. 

 As such a state of matters means the hardships all have to undergo who 

 are compelled to be exposed to the elements, such an early advent of true 

 winter is undesirable. Besides, the well-fed and well-clad are not the 

 principal sufferers — the poorly cared for, scantily clothed, and ill-housed 



