THE BIRDS OF THE ISLAND OF BARRA 207 



GRAY PLOVER, Squatarola helvetica (L.) A few birds have been 

 noticed occasionally in the winter, but this is rather a rare 

 species throughout the whole of the Outer Hebrides. 



LAPWING, Vanellus vulgaris, Bechstein. Fairly common, breeding 

 and permanently resident. 



TURNSTONE, Strepsilas interpres (L.) Pretty common at all times, 

 except during the breeding season ; and even then a few 

 individuals may be found almost, if not quite, through the 

 entire summer. I have seen birds on the 2yth of May and 

 also on the iSth of July 1893, but on both occasions in small 

 flocks of about half a dozen. I have been looking out care- 

 fully for any appearance of nests, but found none. The 

 Purple Sandpiper is also found very late in the summer, but 

 still there is no evidence of their having nested in the outer 

 islands. Probably those birds that remain late, or through the 

 entire summer, are barren birds, like the individuals of the 

 Curlew and Heron species that may be seen every summer at 

 their old winter quarters, but never nest here. 



OYSTER CATCHER, HcEinatopus ostralegus (L.) Very abundant in 

 autumn and winter, and a considerable number breed, but only a 

 small proportion compared with the numbers met with in winter. 



GRAY PHALAROPE, Phalaropus fulicarius, L. Two birds were 

 caught on the island during a gale on 26th September 1891. 

 I think this was the only occasion on which any of the species 

 occurred in any part of the Outer Hebrides. 



WOODCOCK, Scolopax rusticula, L. Not very uncommon in the 



winter. 

 COMMON SNIPE, Gallinago ccelcstis, Frengel. Rather plentiful, 



breeding and resident. 



JACK SNIPE, Gallinago gallitnda, L. Common in the winter. 

 DUNLIN, Tringa alpina, L. Common on the shores in the winter ; 



and I think a few pairs nest, as I saw pairs in midsummer, 



although I did not get eggs. 

 PURPLE SANDPIPER, Tringa striata, L. Very common in the 



winter, and a few met with till June, but there is no proof of 



their having nested here yet. 

 KNOT, Tringa canutus, L. I met a small flock of this species on 



the island in the autumn of 1892, the first seen by me in the 



Outer Hebrides. Since then they have been visiting in 



autumn and winter in larger numbers and as there are excellent 



feeding-grounds they will probably become regular winter 



visitors. 

 RUFF, Machetes pugnax, L. One bird was seen by me on 2nd 



September 1889. This is the only record from Barra. 



