190 BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 
Robert Gray in a manuscript note in his copy of his 
Birds of the West of Scotland, records " a Buzzard shot in 
October, 1873, in Dumfriesshire, remarkable for its dark 
brown plumage, with a tint of reddish-brown on its wing- 
coverts." This bird was shot near Drumlanrig and was a male. 
During the vole-plague of 1874-1876, the Buzzard which 
had long been a stranger returned to prey upon the voles.* 
One was shot about 1877 at Dalpeddar (Sanquhar), and 
another in the same year near Kirkconnel, so I am informed 
by J. R. Wilson, while at the end of October, 1880, several 
Buzzards are recorded by Mr. R. Service.t I am told 
by one of the gamekeepers at Drumlanrig that one was 
frequently seen near Dabton Loch (Morton) in the autumn 
of 1884 ; and Mr. Wm. Easman tells me that a specimen 
was trapped on Kirkland Hill (Kirkmichael) in 1885. 
I hear from Mr. W. Evans that in May, 1887, he saw a 
Common Buzzard capture a water- 7ole on the hillside 
above Loch Skene. When it had devoured the vole 
Mr. Evans went to the spot and picked up the vole's skin 
which the bird had left behind. 
During the vole-plague of 1891-1893 a marked 
increase in the number of Buzzards, as well as in other 
birds inimical to these pestilential rodents, was again 
generally observed throughout the county. A young 
bird was killed at Douglaw Glen (Ewes) at the beginning 
of January, 1892.J In January, 1894, a Buzzard was 
trapped in Stenhouse Wood (Tynron) and is now in my 
possession ; and on September 18th and 21st of the same year 
I saw^ a bird of this species circhng above Capenoch Hill 
<Keir). Mr. J. Little teUs me he saw a Buzzard on White 
Coomb (Moffat) in 1897, and in 1901 Dr. J. W. Martin said 
that these birds were occasionally met with in the higher 
districts of Glencairn parish in early spring or late in autumn.§ 
* Mammals of Great Britain, Vol. II., p. 271. 
t Zoologist, 1881, p. 61. 
X Hist. Berwick Nat. Club, Vol. XIII., p. 353. 
§ Trans. D. and G. Nat. Hist. Soc., December 13th, 1901, 
