24 6 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



tells me that soon after landing at St. Kilda on yth July he saw a 

 small boy playing with a bird, which on examination he found to be 

 a Crossbill. It was in a starved condition, and was too weak to use 

 its wings properly. I have seen the skin of this specimen, and found 

 it to be a female, and also a bird of Continental origin. Writing from 

 the island of Barra, Mr. W. L. MacGillivray informs me that on 3rd 

 August he saw a party of seven in a small plantation. Lastly, a 

 bird in immature plumage was brought to Mr. Williams, Torphins, 

 Deeside, on Qth August, as Mr. Harvie- Brown informs me on the 

 authority of Mr. A. Macdonald. It is probable that other records 

 may follow, and be inserted in this number of the "Annals."- 

 WM. EAGLE CLARKE. 



Crossbills in Tay. The gamekeeper on the estate of Kippen 

 and shooting of part of Duncrub, Perthshire, has seen many 

 Crossbills a large flock the other day, and individuals throughout 

 the whole year ; as reported to me from the Estate Office, in lit., iQth 

 September 1910. J. A. HARVIE-BROWN. 



Albino Wheatear in Shetland. On the 5th of July I found on 

 this island a Wheatear (Saxicola ananthe) in nearly perfect albino 

 plumage, and sent it to Mr. Eagle Clarke for the collections in the 

 Royal Scottish Museum. The bird was at first sight difficult to 

 name, but the white patch on the lower back was paler than the rest 

 of the dorsal plumage, and helped me to solve the question of its 

 identity. T. EDMONSTON SAXBY, Halligarth, Unst. 



Willow Wren nesting on Ivy-covered Wall. On 1 6th July at 

 dusk I flushed a small bird from a nest built among short ivy growing 

 against a brick wall in my garden. It was a domed nest, but as I 

 had never seen a Willow Wren's (Phylloscopus trochilus) nest in this 

 situation, I thought it was possibly a Chiff-Chaffs. The eggs were 

 rather darkly spotted, but not so dark as is usual in the Chiff-Chaff. 

 I had no opportunity of identifying the bird till ten days later, when I 

 saw it close to the nest and uttering the familiar note of the Willow 

 Wren. Unfortunately the nest was not secure on its foundation and 

 was partly supported by the twigs of a currant bush growing in front 

 of the wall, so that after a stormy night I found the nest inverted 

 and the eggs broken. What I take to be the same bird is still 

 frequenting the garden, but I do not think she has built again. The 

 nest was 3 ft. 6 in. from the ground. CHARLES KIRK, Glasgow. 



Greenland Falcons in the Northern Highlands. A fine male 

 Greenland Falcon (Falco candicans) was shot at Rogart, Sutherland- 

 shire, on 8th March 1910. A young female of the same species was 

 caught in a trap on the Ardross moors, Ross-shire, on gth March. 

 Both birds were sent to Mr. Inglis, Dingwall, for preservation, and to 

 him I am indebted for these particulars and also for a sight of the 

 birds. ANNIE C. JACKSON, Swordale. 



