The Annals 



of 



Scottish Natural History 



No. 74] 1910 [APRIL 



THE BIRDS OF FAIR ISLE V. REPORT ON 

 OBSERVATIONS MADE DURING THE 

 YEAR 1909. 



By WM. EAGLE CLARKE, F.R.S.E., F.L.S. 



As a full and particular account of Birds of Fair Isle, based 

 upon all the data which have been amassed during the 

 past five years, is about to be published, it is only necessary, 

 following precedent, to do little more than allude to the 

 species, few in number, which were added to the avifauna 

 in the year 1909. 



As I have said the novelties are few in number, namely, 

 six. But this is not surprising, for the ornis of this small 

 island had reached the remarkable total of 185 species at 

 the close of 1908, and it was not to be expected that this 

 number could be materially increased as the result of a single 

 year's investigations. One of the new birds, however, the 

 White-spotted Bluethroat, is a most interesting species to 

 have obtained, apart from its great rarity as a British bird. 

 A number of uncommon species, previously recorded, re- 

 newed their visits in 1909, and in all 122 species were 

 observed as migrants during the year ; of these 9 1 species 

 were observed during the spring movements, 96 during the 

 autumn, and 70 were common to both seasons. 



These statistics, though quite remarkable and satisfactory, 

 74 B 



