. The birds of Berwickshire; with remarks on their local distribution migration, and habits, and also on the folk-lore, proverbs, popular rhymes and sayings connected with them . 878. The gamekeeperat Mordington tells me that it is sometimes observed aboutthe Lang Belt plantation there ; and Mr. John Thomsonreports to me that it is a regular summer visitor to theneighbourhood of Mertoun and Cowdenknowes. Mr. Pringle,Ayton Castle, has informed me that he shot a Nightjar onCocklaw Farm on the 10th of September 1887, and that onewas killed at The Press about the same time. The bird usually roosts
. The birds of Berwickshire; with remarks on their local distribution migration, and habits, and also on the folk-lore, proverbs, popular rhymes and sayings connected with them . 878. The gamekeeperat Mordington tells me that it is sometimes observed aboutthe Lang Belt plantation there ; and Mr. John Thomsonreports to me that it is a regular summer visitor to theneighbourhood of Mertoun and Cowdenknowes. Mr. Pringle,Ayton Castle, has informed me that he shot a Nightjar onCocklaw Farm on the 10th of September 1887, and that onewas killed at The Press about the same time. The bird usually roosts on the ground amongst ferns orother herbage; and on being disturbed it generally flies toa large tree, if one be near, crouching down along one of thebranches, and not sitting across it, in the usual manner ofbirds. Its food consists solely of insects, such as largemoths and night-flying beetles. The eggs, which are two innumber, are laid in June, upon the bare ground—oftenamongst brackens in the vicinity of woods—and are verybeautiful. Their texture is smooth, and their colour white,mottled, clouded, blotched, or spotted with lilac, grey, andbrown of various iBmscrscHcat _. ^^. Vl- V* PICARI^. ( 261 ) PICIDjE. THE GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER PIED WOODPECKER, WIT WALL, WOOD PIE, FRENCH PIE. Dendrocopus major. The hazel blooms in threads of crimson hue,Peep through the swelling buds, foretelling Spring, Ere yet a ivhitcthorn leaf appears in view. Or Alarchjinds Throstles pleased enough to the old touch-wood tree Woodpeckers cling A moment, and their harsh-toned notes renew. Clare, The First Sight of Spring. The first record which we have of the occuneuce of theGreat Spotted Woodpecker in Berwickshire is in the OldStatistical Account of Scotland, where the Eev. ThomasMills, in his report on the parish of Ladykirk, written in1793, remarks that, in winter Woodpeckers sometimesappear. ^ Dr. Stuart of Chirnside contributed some admir-able notes on this Woodpecker t
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