. 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 . thebird descended on tremulous pinions from soaring at animmense height to its home amongst the tussocky grassand rushes; the continual Crek, crek, crek, of numerousLandrails {Grcx pratcnsis) along the grassy edges of themarsh; and the chattering song of the Sedge Warbler(Acroccphalus schcenohccnus) amongst the low thick clumpsof alder and grey willow bushes; whilst, later on, at night-fall, the loud Quack, quack, of
. 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 . thebird descended on tremulous pinions from soaring at animmense height to its home amongst the tussocky grassand rushes; the continual Crek, crek, crek, of numerousLandrails {Grcx pratcnsis) along the grassy edges of themarsh; and the chattering song of the Sedge Warbler(Acroccphalus schcenohccnus) amongst the low thick clumpsof alder and grey willow bushes; whilst, later on, at night-fall, the loud Quack, quack, of the Wild Duck, the harshscream of the Heron, and the boom of the Bittern resoundedthrough the air. In winter, after floods of rain, and whenheavy snow melted, the whole Mire often presented theappearance of a far-extending loch, and thousands of wild-fowl were then seen frequenting its waters. Such was thestate of Billie Mire down to the end of last century. The accompanying plan shows the western part of theMire, stretching from the march between the lands ofBlanerne and Billie to the road between Auchencrow andBerwick, as it was in 1759 ; and the eastern part, extending. li li Si It I- ^ ?S?? » ^•^ 2SgS 1 S = io F^ Ashfle/d Billie MainsLittle BillieBillie Mill J THE COMMON BITTEEN. 59 from the above road to a short distance beyond Causeway-bank, as it was in 1816. For the use of the plan of thewestern part I am indebted to Colonel Milne-Home ofWedderburn, and for that of the eastern portion I haveto thank Mr. John Blackadder, Blanerne, who has likewisekindly favoured me with some notes regarding the drainageof the Mire. This, it appears, was done by deepening thewestern outlet of the superfluous waters of the Mire, andcutting a deep cast or ditch along the centre of the valleyto lead the water to the western outlet. Mr. Blackadder,in his notes, says: Sir William Hall of Whitehall, aboutthe year 1780 or 1785, when the Duke of Bridgewaterscanals were working in Lancashire, h
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublishere, booksubjectbirds
