366 Ornithological Notes. By George Bolam. 



From the pallet of an adult bird of this species, which was found on 

 5th February 1891, up one of the deep ' ditches ' which intersect the 

 sands at Holy Island at low tide, I shook a considerable number of sand 

 eels, ranging in size from respectable eels of 3 or 4 inches in length, down 

 to the most minute creatures scarcely exceeding a needle in thickness. 

 There were quite a lot of these tiny fishes, and we could not help 

 wondering that so large a bird should have troubled to pursue and 

 swallow such apparently insignificant morsels. 



I have frequently watched Red-throated Divers descending to the water 

 from a considerable height in the air, and their manner of doing so is 

 rather striking. After circling round the spot two or three timee in wide 

 circles, now and then appearing almost to hover in the air, they rush down 

 at an acute angle, legs and neck extended to their full extent, but just 

 when you are expecting to see them dash into the water, the direction of 

 flight is suddenly altered, and they skim off along its surface, finally 

 landing very quietly some yards further on. 



Great Crested Grebe. Podicipes cristatu.'^, Linnasus. 



This species seems to be increasing in the frequency of its visits to the 

 district, having been noticed with some regularity upon the coast of 

 recent years, as well as on several occasions inland. 



In 1890 one was seen off Spittal point on 21st October; another, a very 

 large bird with a heavily tufted head, but with a suspicion of the stripes 

 of immaturity still remaining on the neck, was fishing near the mouth of 

 the river about a week later ; and one or two others were noticed in the 

 vicinity about the same time. On 1st January 1891 one was seen near 

 Berwick, and again on 20th ; one in the harbour at Holy Island on 16th 

 January ; and another diving off the rocks below Lamberton on 13th 

 Mauch. A fine specimen in the usual autumn plumage was obtained from 

 Holy Island on 23rd October 1891 ; and the late Mr Brotherstcm had one 

 for preservation which had been shot in the Tweed, at the Leos, 

 Coldstream, early in November 1890. 



Rbd-necked Grebe. Podicipes griseiijeva, Boddaert. 

 This is usually one of the scarcest of the Grebes in the district, and 

 several years often pass without a specimen turning up, but it shared in 

 the general plentifulness of the tribe in the winter of 1890-91, and was 

 then by far the most abundant of the genus. As is generally the case, its 

 arrival was not until late in the season, and as the following dates will 

 show it remained upon the coast till the end of March. The first 

 specimens wei'e noticed in and about Holy Island harbour on 16th January 

 1891, when my brother shot two young males and saw more than a dozen 

 others ; on the 27th a very small individual, which proved to be an 

 immature female, was sent to me from the same quarter ; and on 23rd I 

 saw an adult bird in a shop in Alnwick, which had been killed on the Aln 

 at Denwick the day before. On 14th February another young female was 

 found alive, but in a wounded condition, upon the sands at the Old Law ; 

 and a week later I saw a fine adult bird fishing off the Lamberton rocks, 



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