174 Movememts of Birds on Migration at Chirnside. 



Carduelis spinus. — Siskin has again visited our district, and is at 

 Billie Mire, Edington Hill, and near Chirnside on the Alders. 



LoxiA PYBRHCLA. — The Bullfinch has been seen in seven places in 

 this district in November and December on migration, for rarely in 

 the summer season is this bird visible. During summer I only 

 observed a breeding pair at Harelaw fox cover, in this parish. 



Emberizia MiLLiARiA. — Bunting. This jolly-looking bird, nearly the 

 size of a Thrush, breeds all over our immediate neighbourhood ; but 

 as soon as the young are strong, before the corn is ripe, they 

 migrate either north or south. I have seen them as far north as 

 John o' Groats. After harvest, generally in November, a new colony 

 arrives, and remains till after the new year. It is a matter of 

 curiosity to know where the Buntings bred here go to, and where 

 the late birds come from. For many years we had no Corn Buntings 

 at all, now they are quite common. 



Parus palustris. — Marsh Tit, 24th July, at a clump of Salix aurita 

 at the "Black Moss," in Redheugh Bogs, Coldingham Moor; also 20th 

 December, Edington Hill Wood, near Blackburn Bogs. 



Parus caudatus. — Long-tailed Tit seen in June near Chirnside Station, 

 and in November at Broadmeadows, in the parish of Hutton. 



CoLUMBA PALDMBUs. — Wood Pigeon. During the month of December 

 immense flocks of these birds visit us on migration, jjrincipally from 

 the beech woods of Denmark. They are darker in colour than our 

 native birds, and must do great damage to young grass and clover 

 fields, which they frequent. 



Bird Notes. 



In a strictly game preserved district, like the Eastern Borders, the 

 gradual extinction of the birds of prey, during the breeding season, 

 must be obvious to every one who is much out of doors. No 

 gamekeeper rearing young Pheasants can bear to see any hawk 

 whatever near his coops. He is constantly on the watch, in a wooden 

 sentry box, among his young family, and relentlessly shoots down 

 all birds of prey, besides using other methods for their destruction. 

 Even the comparatively innocent Kestrel has disappeared. The Owls 

 are also in diminished numbers, and their hooting rarely heard to 

 what was the case at one time ; for Whitehall, near my house, was a 

 great haunt of the Owl family. The consequence of this persecution 

 is, that we are now threatened with another plague of Voles. 



Arvicola agrestis, the Short-tailed Field Vole, is to be found in small 

 numbers on every roadside. In numbers injurious to growing trees. 

 Duns Castle Wood, I have heard, is the only place in this district 

 where they had to be destroyed. Arvicola amphibia, a first cousin 

 of the Field Vole, has now taken to the pasture fields. For the last 

 two years at Ninewells they have done much mischief by burrowing 

 all over the fields. The forester informed me that, in a very short 

 time, he had trapped fifty-nine with ordinary mole traps. The 

 forester's dog and cats frequent the ground infested with them, and 



