1 84 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



informs me that his only records for Midlothian are : Polton, May 

 1876; Colinton Dell, i3th July 1884; and Arniston, i2th May 

 1898. W. EAGLE CLARKE. 



Owls in Islay. Dr. Gilmour mentions in the January number 

 of the " Annals of Scottish Natural History " the capture of a Long- 

 eared Owl (Asia otits] in the south of Islay, and is under the im- 

 pression that it is a rare bird in the island. While I am happy to 

 say that I know of no instance of any Owl being procured in Islay, 

 yet, having had a home there for twenty-three years, I am glad to 

 be able to state that in the north, in the Forest of Kilchomon, the 

 Long-eared Owl is of almost daily occurrence. It breeds annually 

 close by where I reside, and I see the birds mousing on the lawn. 

 I believe that but for these Owls we should be much troubled with 

 the Short-tailed Field Mouse or Vole (Microtus agrestis). The 

 Short-eared Owl (Asia accipitrinus) arrives about the end of October 

 very regularly, and in considerable numbers. Of the remaining Owls 

 which were once abundant in Scotland, but which folly and stupidity 

 have now rendered almost rare, I have only seen in Islay one Brown 

 Owl (Syrnium aluco] and one Barn Owl (Strix flammed), and, 

 strange to say, the latter was an albino. Islay may claim at least 

 one specimen of the magnificent Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca}, as 

 a gamekeeper once told me that he had trapped an example many 

 years ago in this parish. R. SCOTT SKIRVING, Foreland. 



Scops Owl in Shetland. On the i5th of May I received for 

 identification a wing and a leg of a Scops Owl (Scops giu] which 

 had been captured on the island of Foula. Mr. Francis Trail, who 

 kindly sent the remains, informed me that the bird was first seen 

 at the end of April, when a woman discovered it in her barn. Here 

 it was eventually captured and kept in confinement, but soon died. 

 The occurrence of this species in so remote an island is remarkable, 

 and is of special interest because the Scops Owl has not hitherto 

 been known to visit the Shetland Islands. The recorded instances 

 of this Owl in Scotland are very few in number. It was obtained 

 in Sutherland in May 1854 ; a pair were shot at Scone in May 1864 ; 

 one was found dead near Kintore in September 1891 ; and one 

 was captured alive at North Ronaldshay, Orkney, in June 1892, as 

 recorded in this magazine ("Annals," 1893, p. 71). W. EAGLE 

 CLARKE, Edinburgh. 



Iceland Falcon in Skye. A young Iceland Falcon (Falco 

 islandus) was sent for preservation to Messrs. Macleay of Inverness 

 on the 1 5th of February, which had been obtained near Carbost, 

 Skye. It was apparently a bird of last year. T. E. BUCKLEY, 

 Inverness. 



Ruff in Orkney. On the 2nd of September last year, when 

 staying at the Dounby Hotel, Orkney, I was handed a Ruff and 



