The Scottish Naturalist. 
157 
and Ednam, while the bird probably breeds at Lauder. {Cf. Hist. 
Ber. Nat. Club, x.^ p. 392.) 
Corn Crake {Grex pratensis). Rather local but not un- 
common ; at Yetholm it breeds in a gorse covert on the river 
"haugh" in preference to the fields. Arrives fairly early in 
May. 
Spotted Crake {Forzana maruetta). Has occurred in 
October at Gradon Moss, and near Berwick-on-Tweed at Gains- 
law. 
Water Rail {Rallus aquaticus). This bird has been noticed 
at Ormiston, Stobo, Jedburgh, and Legerwood Loch, while speci- 
mens are contained in the small collection of birds at Faldonside, 
probably shot there ; but it has never been detected breeding in the 
district. The lochs are not, for the most part, surrounded by the 
style of vegetation it would choose. 
Moorhen {Gallinula chloropus). Common and universally 
distributed. 
Coot {Fulica atra). Breeds abundantly on the small lochs 
and larger ponds in many places, as at Faldonside, The Haining, 
Nisbet near Mounteviot, and Stobo. 
Crane {Grus communis). A specimen was shot at I'hreep- 
wood near Lauder, before 1874. (See Hist. Ber. Nat. Club, vii., 
P- 305-) 
Great Bustard {Otis tarda). Except that in January, 1871, a 
specimen was shot and perhaps another observed at Fenham on 
the east coast of Northumberland, and that Hector Boece in his 
Scotorum Historia mentions Bustards in the Merse {Merchia)^ no 
records exist for this district or those immediately adjoining. 
Dotterel [Eudromlas ?Jtorinelhis). There used to be several 
places in the neighbourhood to which these birds annually resorted 
in spring and more rarely in autumn, while on migration, though 
now they seldom occur. None of these were nearer to Melrose 
than Lauder, and the majority, as Lamberton, Scremerston, Pen- 
manshiel, Abbey St. Bathans, Gullane, &c., were far away. But the 
birds were occasionally observed at other places, as Langley-ford 
under Cheviot, Morebattle and Bughtrig on Kale Water; and at 
these the birds may have been annual visitors also, though over- 
looked. At Lauder it is very positively stated, on the authority of 
Messrs. Tilly and Scott, that they "have nested on the outground 
of Broadshawrig year after year for 10 years/' and that a young 
