198 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



and several (one obtained) at Skateraw, on the 29th. Inland to the south, 

 five were seen by Mr T. G. Laidlaw, near Abbey St Bathans on 18th December 

 (in lilt. 13th Jan.). 



Returning to North Berwick, several parties of a dozen to a score or so 

 were, eye-witnesses tell me, observed one day at the end of October or beginning 

 of November coming in from the sea ; some of them alighted for a brief rest 

 on the railing of the jetty at the harbour before passing on in a westerly 

 direction. A good many were seen and some caught about Dirleton, 

 while on the seaward part of Archerfield grounds, as many as 200 to 

 300 congregated for three or four days, from 29th October. West of this, 

 where the bird-catchers made terrible inroads on their numbers, my notes 

 record their occurrence at the following localities : — Near Aberlady, Long- 

 niddry (several flocks, one of about thirty birds on 27th Oct.), Prestonpans 

 and Musselburgh district (22nd Oct., a few ; 23rd, 24th, etc., many), about 

 Tranent (in great numbers), Ormiston on the Tyne (early in Nov.), Joppa, 

 Liberton, Gilmerton, Blackford and Braid Hills, Hillend at the eastern 

 termination of the Pentlands (on several dates in Nov.; flocks of as many as 

 thirty and seventy seen), near Oladhouse, Peebles (large flock seen early in 

 Nov., some caught), West Linton (reports of Eedpolls about here in Nov. 

 probably refer mainly to this species), Leith Docks (small parties 3rd and 4lh 

 Nov.), Granton and Cramond (hundreds passing on 3rd Nov.), Craiglockhart, 

 Canal banks at Hailes quarry where two were seen by Mr A. Craig on 

 26th December (in lilt. 6th Jan.), North Queensferry and Bo'uess, where scores 

 were taken in November. The earliest date I am able to cite for the 

 Lothians is Saturday, 22nd October, on which day five Mealy Eedpolls, caught 

 that morning in the neighbourhood of Musselburgh, were brought to Mr 

 Dewar, bird-dealer, Edinburgh. On the following Monday hundreds were 

 brought into the city, and so great was the supply during the next few days 

 that the catchers were soon glad to accept as little as twopence or even a penny a 

 piece for them, while for a time the dealers were obliged to refuse them at any 

 price. Fresh captures continued to come in plentifully till about the middle 

 of November when they rapidly fell off, and by the end of the month had 

 ceased entirely. A single bird seen by the side of Braid Burn on 18th January 

 is the latest of winch I have a definite record. From what I saw and other- 

 wise learned, I am satisfied that altogether the number of Eedpolls — of which 

 the great majority, probably not less than eighty to ninety per cent., were 

 Mealies — brought into Edinburgh during the two or three weeks the birds 

 were in the neighbourhood cannot have been less than 2000. Two dealers had 

 each about 400 Mealies through their hands, while a third had close on 300. 

 I In one occasion I counted forty-eight in one cage. From Edinburgh many 



