Ornithological Notes. By George Bolam, F.Z.S., 

 Berwick-on-Tweed. 



By the courtesy of Mr Liddell-Grainger, of Ayton Castle, I have 

 had the opportunity of examining, and identifying, the following rare 

 birds, which he has preserved at Ayton, and a note of whose occur- 

 rence in the district it is desirable to place upon record in the Club's 

 Proceedings. 



The first of these is a beautiful specimen of the Marsh Harrier, 

 Circus oeruginosus (L), shot by the gamekeeper in the "Elbow covert," 

 at Ayton, on 3rd May 1903. It is in the uniform rich chestnut-brown 

 plumage, with pale crown, and is probably a young male. When first 

 seen by the keeper it was soaring around, attended by a flock of 

 Rooks, but presently descended to the trees, close to where he was, 

 and remained sitting there till he sent for his gun, and shot it. No 

 doubt it was a perfect stranger, and had just arrived from over sea. 

 The Marsh Harrier is a very rare casual visitant to the district, and 

 is not included by Mr Muirhead in his "Birds of Berwickshire." 



The next is an equally fine specimen of an almost equally rare bird, 

 the Goshawk, Astur palumharius (L.), of which Mr Liddell-Grainger 

 had told me at the time, and which was trapped at Middleton Hall, 

 Belford, in the beginning of 1897. It is a female in immature 

 plumage. A bird, which was supposed by the keeper who saw it to 

 have been another Goshawk, was seen near the same place a few 

 days afterwards. 



Mr Liddell-Grainger had also a Buzzard, Buteo vulgaris, Leach, in 

 the usual dark brown plumage, which had been trapped in the " Hare 

 plantation," Ayton, four or five years ago. And lastly, a Little 

 Bittern, Ardetta minuta (L.), which had been picked up disabled, 

 beneath the telegraph wires, near Eyemouth, on the 18th May 1904. 

 It is in the female plumage. This is another addition to the "Birds 

 of Berwickshire." 



