206 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



RING DOVE or WOOD. PIGEON, Columba palumbus (L.) The Ring 

 Dove has been met with on several occasions in Barra. The 

 first record is i5th October 1887 : a single bird shot by Mr. 

 M'Elfrish, Lochmaddy. Last year, and this year, I saw two 

 or three birds several times ; but it is a very uncommon visitor, 

 and never stays very long on the island. 



ROCK DOVE, Columba lima, J. F. Gmelin. Very plentiful all the 

 year, roosting and breeding in the numerous rocky caves along 

 the coast. 



RED GROUSE, Lagopus scoticns, Latham. Very limited in numbers, 

 probably owing to the abundance of their natural enemies, 

 chiefly the hooded crows. 



QUAIL, Coturnix communis, Bonnaterre. Several birds of this 

 species, probably five or six pairs, visited the island last 

 summer. About the middle of June I first heard the notes 

 of two or three in a field of hay on the minister's glebe. 

 From this time up to the middle of August their notes could 

 always be heard about the same place, so that they must have 

 nested there. Several times I attempted to put them up, but 

 never succeeded, the cover being too thick. The Rev. 

 Archibald M' Donald, who often accompanied me on these 

 occasions, succeeded, however, one day, when alone, in 

 putting up one, and described it to me. 



Many persons were struck by the strange notes which they 

 had never heard before. I think Quail were more abundant 

 than usual throughout Scotland last year. 



AVATER RAIL, Rallns aquatints, L. Occasionally seen in the winter, 

 but it is rather rare. 



LAND RAIL, Crcx pratensis, Bechstein. Very abundant in the 

 summer, arriving early in May and leaving in September. 



MOOR HEN, Gallinula chloropus, L. A few pairs permanently 

 resident in swamps, but in winter some are seen on the sea. 



COOT, Fulica atra (L.) A pair or two seem to reside permanently 

 on St. Clair Loch, but I have not met with them elsewhere on 

 this island. 



SIBERIAN CRANE, Grus leucogeranus. One was shot by me on the 

 island on i9th August 1891. This bird was afterwards 

 supposed to have escaped from England. 



RINGED PLOVER, sEgialitis hiatiada (L.) Common, breeding and 

 permanently resident. 



GOLDEN PLOVER, Charadriits pluvialis, L. A small flock visits the 

 island in winter, but it does not stay to breed. 



