352 BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 
Mr. J. E. Halting states that the late Captain A. Clark- 
Kennedy had seen this bird on two occasions on the Nith 
in Dumfriesshire,* probably between the years 1874-1876. 
A Spotted Crake was obtained in the county in 1878-1879, 
as recorded by WiUiam Hastings,t and this bird has been 
ascertained to have come from Annandale ; another was got 
at Lockerbie House in September, I88I4 Speaking of a 
specimen obtained locally in 1888 WiUiam Hastings describes 
the species as " equaUy rare as the Water-Rail."§ Mr. 
John Corrie informed Mr. R. Service that a Spotted Crake 
was shot on September 14th, 1889, near Loch Urr (Glen- 
cairn) ; and on May 9th, 1891, Mr. R. Armstrong wading m 
Kirkbog Marsh (Closeburn) flushed what he believed to be 
a bird of this species. || Mr. Adam Fyfe states that on 
October 9th, 1892, he shot a Spotted Crake in a marsh near 
Moffat,TI and Mr. J. T. Johnstone informs me that Mr. Fyfe 
has shot more than one in that district, but he can give 
no actual dates. Mr. R. Service, writing of a bird reported 
as captured near Moffat at the beginning of November, 1892, 
may refer to Mr. Fyfe's specimen, and he remarks : " Its 
nest has been found occasionaUy in Annandale, and the bird 
has been met with in that dale far oftener than in the other 
Dumfriesshire dales."** A bird of this species kiUed itself 
against the telegraph-wires at Cummertrees on October 18th, 
1895 tt and was set up by Mr. J. Harkness of Newfieldburn, 
Ruthwell. " Mabie Moss " ^vrites in 1896 : " Mr. Tom Day, 
the taxidermist, has shown me a fine specimen of the Spotted 
Crake shot near Lockerbie. The species has occurred with 
some frequency of late years."} { In 1897 one in full plumage 
* Handbook of Brit. Birds, 1901, p. 223. 
t Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasg., 1897, Vol. IV., p. 177. 
X Trans. D. and G. Nat. Hist. Soc, February 3rd, 1882. 
§ Op. cit., February 1st, 1889. 
II Dumfries Courier and Herald, June 30th, 1891. 
Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1893, p. 45. 
** Zoologist, 1893, p. 24. 
•j-t Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1896, p. 123. 
XX Dumfries Courier and Herald, September 7th, 1895. 
