70 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



Rarely a few are seen cutting the point and sailing overland, 

 but a channel between an outlying rock and the mainland at 

 the extreme Butt is their favourite highway, and probably 

 has been from time immemorial. 



THE LIGHTHOUSE, BUTT OF LEWIS. 



BLYTH'S REED - WARBLER (ACROCEPHALUS 

 DUMETORUM) AT FAIR ISLE: AN AD- 

 DITION TO THE BRITISH AVIFAUNA. 



By WM. EAGLE CLARKE. 



IN September last, a small plain-coloured bird resembling a 

 Garden- Warbler in colour was observed by Her Grace the 

 Duchess of Bedford in a small plot of turnips at Fair Isle. 

 It was very shy, and only afforded a momentary view ere it 

 sought fresh cover. It was found by my observer in the 

 same place on the following day, and after some trouble was 

 secured, and believed by its captor to be a Reed-Warbler. 



On receiving the skin I found that it was not a speci- 

 men of the common Reed-Warbler, and on further examina- 

 tion along with Dr. C. B. Ticehurst we made it out to be 

 AcrocepJialus dumetorum. Not having any specimens of this 

 species with which to compare it, I sent the bird to Dr. 

 Hartert, who kindly confirmed the identification. 



Blyth's Reed -Warbler is not only an addition to the 

 British avifauna, but is a new bird for Western Europe, for it 

 has not, I believe, been found farther west than Russia. It 

 is a summer visitor to regions from the Governments of St. 

 Petersburg and Archangel eastwards to the valley of the 

 Yenesei, and southwards to Transcaspia, the Himalayas, 

 Altai, and Turkestan. The winter is passed in the plains of 

 India from the foot of the great mountains of the north to 

 Ceylon, and from Sind to Assam. Its habits are said to be 

 less aquatic than those of its allies, since it frequents low 

 jungle where rushes flourish, as well as reeds and trees over- 

 hanging water, and occurs at altitudes of 6000 feet or more. 



