350 Ornithological Notes. By George Bolam. 



in a garden at Felton on the 1st ; an adult female at Wooler a few days 

 later, it having been observed in the neighbourhood for a week before it 

 was killed ; and one was mentioned in the Berwickshire News of 14th, as 

 having been seen at Abbey St. Bathans. One or two others were seen 

 about this time near Ayton ; and during the same winter Mr J. M. 

 Balmbra at Acklington, stuffed two which had been killed near that 

 place. 



About the second week in March 1887, a fine specimen was shot by 

 a rabbit-catcher in Redden covert, near Carham ; and a pair were 

 reported to have bred at Felton Park during the previous summer. Early 

 in November 1887, an old male, shot by the keeper at Ayton Castle, was 

 sent into Berwick for preservation, and several were recorded from South 

 Northumberland. In December James Hall shot one in Fenwick wood, in 

 the parish of Kyloe. About 25th January 1888, one was killed at Har- 

 bottle Castle ; and a little earlier in the same month another was shot at 

 Quixwood. 



I have no more captures to record for that year, but a pair 

 remained during the summer, in the fine old wood at Kyloe, and 

 no doubt bred there, although the nest was not actually found. On 

 25th May, and again a week later, I repeatedly saw the birds near 

 the same spot, on one occasion chasing each other through the trees, and 

 their behaviour was certainly that of breeding birds. Several old and 

 partially decayed Scotch fir trees, that had been bored by the larvae of 

 Sirex gigas, had been entirely stripped of their bark, and in some places 

 hammered away almost to the heart by the birds in search of the cater- 

 pillars ; and I noticed that their attacks had been made quite as freely 

 upon trees lying upon the ground and on the roots and stumps of others 

 which had been felled, as upon the upright trunks. The birds kept 

 repeating their rather monotonous call-notes most of the time I 

 remained in the wood, but they were marvellously adept at keeping out 

 of sight. In the following summer they again returned to the same place, 

 when I had a fine view of one of them on 1st June, and heard their call- 

 notes several times during the afternoon. 



In 1889 I received an immature bird, which had been found near the 

 harbour at Holy Island on 1st October ; and during the same month others 

 were obtained at Wooler on the 5th, and at Duns Castle a day or two 

 later. At the latter place I was informed by William Smith, the game- 

 keeper who shot the bird, that a pair of them had frequented the woods 

 throughout the summer, and that he believed they had bred there, the bird 

 shot being a young one, which he expected had been reared on the place. 

 Early in November one was observed at Ancroft Moor, tapping at an 

 old post in a hedge, and during this and the following month specimens 

 were seen or obtained near Lauder (for about two months) ; at Chirnside 

 and Ninewells (two or three times); at Thirlstane ; near Glanton (a young 

 bird with full crimson crown) ; at Lilburn Tower (where they remained 

 in the woods for some time) ; at Milfield Hill (where three birds were 



