THE BIRDS OF FAIR ISLE 67 



of these is remarkable for the slenderness of its bill, when 

 compared with Continental examples at my disposal. This 

 marked peculiarity leads me to believe that these birds, which 

 are of all ages, belong to a particular race ; and the fact that 

 at both Fair Isle and the Flannans adult males of the Two- 

 Barred Crossbill were shot from the ranks of the invading 

 birds, indicates, I think, that the two species were travelling 

 companions from a common area. As the Two-Barred species 

 is confined to the far northern and north-eastern pine forests 

 of Europe (and of Siberia), it is possible that this slender- 

 billed race of the Common Crossbill may also be a native 

 of those regions. 



187. WHITE-SPOTTED BLUETHROAT, Cyanecula cyanecula. Fore- 



most in interest among the captures of the year is that of 

 an adult male in full plumage of this beautiful species. 

 Not only is it new to the birds that have occurred at Fair 

 Isle, but it is an addition to the Scottish Fauna, and is the 

 fourth example known to have visited the British Islands. 

 Fair Isle, too, marks the Ultima Thule of the known wander- 

 ings of this Central European summer bird. 



188. PINK-FOOTED GOOSE, Anser brachyrhynchus. A number of 



these birds appeared during the wild weather which pre- 

 vailed from the 7th to the 1 8th of October. One of these 

 was shot, and the identity of the wary visitors satisfactorily 

 established. This bird would appear, strange to say, to be 

 also an addition to the avifauna of Shetland, though it 

 must be an annual bird of passage there. 



189. BERNACLE GOOSE, Bernicla leucopsis. Several single birds 



were seen at intervals during the first three months of the 

 year, and two were shot ; the head of one of these I received 

 for identification. 



190. BRENT GOOSE, Bernicla bcrnida. An injured bird was 



captured in a voe on the east side of the island in October. 

 This I had the satisfaction of examining. 



191. GREY PHALAROPE, Phalaropus fulicarius. Single birds ap- 



peared on two occasions, during the earliest days of the 

 year, and one of these was obtained and sent to me. These 

 are interesting records, since they indicate that the species was 

 spending the winter not very far away. 



In conclusion it may be remarked that a pair of White 

 Wagtails reared their brood on the island during the past 

 summer (the first time in Scotland, so far as I know) ; 

 and that the Siskin was remarkable for the numbers in which 

 it appeared in the autumn. 



