Identifier: birdsofberwicksh02muir (find matches)
Title: 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
Year: 1889 (1880s)
Authors: Muirhead, George
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: Edinburgh, David Douglas
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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The peculiar markings on the first quill feathersare not constant, and are thought to be indicative of agerather than of sex.^ The average weight of a Woodcock is twelve ounces;young birds are much lighter, being seven or eightounces.^ A popular saying sometimes heard on the Borders is 1 Mr. Abraham Mack, Abbey St. Bathans, told me on the 5th of July 1886that he found a Woodcocks nest near the side of Pennianshiel Wood in the summerof 1827. It had two eggs, and was on a dry knowe amongst some stumped heatliernear some birch bushes. He saw the old bird sitting on the nest several times. 2 See The Field, 9th January 1886. 3 Ibid. THE WOODCOCK. 239 that one Swallow does not make a summer nor one Wood-cock a winter. ^ In the reign of Queen Mary the Scottish Parliamentfixed the price of the woodde-cokke at four pennies. ^ 1 Borderers Table Book, vol. vii. p. 215. 2 Laws and Acts of ParUamenl made by King James I. and his RoyalSuccessors, by Sir Thomas Murray of Glendook, Kt. and Bt., 1681.
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^^^^r<^%l LIMICOL^. ( 240 ) SCOLOPACID^. THE GREAT SNIPE. DOUBLE SNIPE, SOLITARY SNIPE, WOODCOCK SNIPE. Gallinago major. And longhiird Snipe, that knows approaching rains. Wilson, Loch IVinnoch. This bird is rarely seen in Berwickshire. A specimen wasshot by the Earl of Haddington in a dry grass park onthe farm of Lightfield, near Mellerstain, in the autumn of1865;^ and another was killed by Mr. Stow Compton-Lundie in a field at Spital House, in the parish of Hutton,about the same time.^ Mr. Kelly records that an examplewas got by Mr. Scott, gamekeeper, Thirlestane Castle, in1870 ; ^ and Mr. George Low told me in November 1882that his brother, the Hon. Lord Low, saw a Great Snipe onEllemford ground a few years previously. It is known to be a visitor to the British Islands whileon its way to its southern winter quarters, its arrival gener-ally taking place between the middle^ of August and themiddle of October. It may be distinguished from the Common Snipe byits greater size, and by

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