BIRD NOTES FROM THE ISLE OF MAY AUTUMN 1910 3 



(Luscinia svecicd] : it appeared on i oth September and was 

 as wild as a hawk. On the other hand, Redbreasts (Erithacus 

 rubecula) were more plentiful than usual throughout our stay, 

 and occurred in numbers during the last fortnight of October 

 after we had left the island. Four procured and submitted 

 to Dr. Hartert were pronounced by him to be of the British 

 race Erithacus rubecula melophilus. 



Most of the Warblers were uncommonly scarce ; we saw a 

 few Whitethroats (Sylvia communis) between 6th and 2 oth 

 September, only one Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) on 

 1 3th September, a male Blackcap {Sylvia atricapilld) on 

 2nd October, and a female on the I7th, and Willow-warblers 

 (Phylloscopus trochilus) between 4th and 26th September ; 

 there were a good many on the 6th and I 5th, otherwise only 

 one or two. The only new Warbler that occurred was the 

 Siberian Chiff-chaff {Pliylloscopus collybita tristis), a single 

 bird appearing on l6th October (S.E. wind, very light, 

 hazy). We managed to procure it, and it constitutes the first 

 record for Forth, the only others known to occur in Britain 

 being at Sule Skerry, Fair Isle, and Kirkwall. In contra- 

 distinction to last year we were not able to record a single 

 Yellow-browed Warbler, while Chiff-chaffs and Garden- 

 warblers were also conspicuous by their absence. 



There were more Goldcrests (Regulus regulus] on the 

 May this season than we have ever seen there before ; the 

 largest arrival took place on I4th October, when the island 

 was swarming with these attractive little birds. We procured 

 eight on various dates between loth September and i/th 

 October, and all proved to be the continental Regulus regulus 

 regulus except one, a British example, Regulus regulus 

 augloruiu, secured on I5th September. Hedge Accentors 

 (Pnmella modularis), too, were unusually plentiful, a 

 good many being present on /th and pth October. Those 

 sent to Dr. Hartert proved to be the British race, Prunella 

 modularis occidentalis, excepting one procured on 6th October, 

 which Dr. Hartert pronounces to be a " puzzling specimen, too 

 pale for occidentalis, probably P. m. modularis" A con- 

 tinental specimen of the Great Titmouse (Parus major major') 

 arrived i$th October; it is an addition to the list of birds 

 seen by us on the May. As usual, White Wagtails (Motacilla 



