Page:The Zoologist, 1st series, vol 1 (1843).djvu/248

220 These notes were made solely for my own amusement; and Laving more important matters to attend to, it is impossible, during this busy season, to command much time for such delightful recreations. Let these considerations plead some apology for the meagerness and unsatisfactory nature of this paper. The localities haunted by some of the birds not mentioned above, are situated at a considerable distance from my residence, whilst others are comparatively rare in this county, or I have failed to observe the date of their arrival in the two years specified. I have therefore endeavoured to supply the deficiency, by giving a few general or comparative dates.

I have only once heard the grasshopper warbler in this neighbourhood. My friend, Mr. John MacGillivray, who is now exploring the interior of Java, found a nest, containing four eggs, of the marsh reedling (Calamoherpe arundinacea) near a pond in this neighbourhood, which, contrary to its usual custom, was built on the ground: it is an extremely rare bird in Scotland. The pied wagtail departs annually about the middle of October, and commonly returns in the second or third week in March; whilst the grey wagtail (Motacilla Boarula) is a constant winter resident. The observations of my friend, Mr. A. Jerdon, of Boujedward, Roxburghshire, coincide with this statement; whereas Prof. MacGillivray, in his admirable 'History of British Birds,' remarks,—"From the middle division of Scotland, it shifts southward in the end of autumn, and even from the southern division the greater part migrate, although it is not uncommon to meet with individuals about Edinburgh through the winter and spring,"—(ii. 240). This is one of the many curious facts elicited by local observation, for which it is impossible to account. The yellow wagtail is a very rare straggler: the reed-bunting is a winter resident, but most of them go south in autumn: the quail occurs only as a rare straggler in this neighbourhood, but in two or three of our sea-coast parishes it is an annual visitant, arriving about the end of May. Most of our summer birds leave this county in September. In the above-mentioned volume of Prof. MacGillivray's work, will be found a very accurate and instructive paper on "The Summer Birds of the Lothians."—Archibald Hepburn; Whittingham, May 1, 1843.

Note on the arrival of some of the Summer Birds at Boujedward, near Jedburgh.

The house-martins were scarce in 1842, and the grey fly-catcher very early in 1841.—Archibald Jerdon; Boujedward, near Jedburgh, May 2, 1843.

Note on the arrival of Summer Birds near Leicester. I have more than once made up my mind to throw off a few rough notes on the habits of our woodland birds, in order that you might transcribe them into the pages of 'The Zoologist' but "non ge-