248 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



birds hatched. Our representative's attempts to buy Great Skua 

 eggs from the crofters altogether failed, as they were far too cautious 

 to commit themselves with a stranger, even if concerned in the 

 business ; and they stated that if caught taking eggs they would be 

 turned out of their crofts, which would mean ruin. They are, 

 however, extremely poor, so that the temptation to take eggs, if 

 offered high prices by dealers and collectors, must be great. At a 

 general merchant's shop on the Mainlaind Mr. Colam was able to 

 buy an egg, one of three in the dealer's possession, said to be left 

 from last year, being told at the same time that no more could now 

 be got as they were protected. (The Shetland Order, under which 

 the Great Skua and its eggs are scheduled, was issued in December 

 1898.) This was very possibly one of the same batch with those 

 offered for sale in London. As a result of the agitation, and the 

 interest aroused by it, steps will be taken next year by Mr. Gilmour 

 and Mrs. Traill to have the breeding- ground systematically and 

 thoroughly watched ; and it is satisfactory to add that a Branch of 

 the S.P.B. has been started in the Shetlands, with Mrs. Bruce of 

 Sunburgh as Honorary Secretary. In the course of the inquiry 

 attention was drawn to the destruction of both Skuas and Gulls in 

 the neighbouring waters by French fishermen, who use them as bait; 

 and the Society has had pleasure in making an award to the skipper 

 and crew of the Shetland vessel the " Catherine " for their humanity 

 in releasing a Great Skua which had been tethered as a decoy. - 

 Communicated by THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS. 



[We desire to bring under the notice of our readers this excellent 

 Society. It is doing really good work, and is deserving of the 

 support of all who are interested in birds. The Honorary Secretary 

 is Mrs. Lemon, 3 Hanover Square, London, W. EDS.] 



Occurrence of the Long-tinned Tunny off the Orkney Islands. 



Mr. Thomas Scott has called our attention to a paragraph in the 

 ''North Western Daily Mail" of i6th June last, wherein it is re- 

 corded that a specimen of this fish, weighing 42 Ibs., was captured 

 by one of the herring fleet off the Orkneys, and was acquired by the 

 Hon. Walter Rothschild for his museum at Tring. Mr. Ernst 

 Hartert, the Director of the Tring Museum, has kindly confirmed 

 the correctness of this newspaper statement as to the fish being 

 a specimen of the Long- finned Tunny (Thynnus alalunga), or 

 Germon, or Albacore, as it is variously known. This species is a 

 native of the Mediterranean and tropical Atlantic, and is a straggler 

 to the British seas, being rare even on the south-western coast 

 of England; while for Scotland, Day, in his "British and Irish 

 Fishes," gives no record for Scottish waters. EDS. 



The occurrence of Labrax lupus at the Bay of Nig-g-, near 

 Aberdeen. A specimen of the Basse (Labrax lupus] was obtained 

 from salmon fishers at Bay of Nigg on 315! July. The specimen 



