208 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



SANDERLING, Calidris arenaria (L.) Very common in the winter, 

 but leaves earlier than the Turnstone and Purple Sandpiper. 



COMMON SANDPIPER, Totanus hypoleucus, L. A few pairs arrive 

 punctually about the ist of May, nest, and leave with their 

 young as soon as they are fledged. 



REDSHANK, Totanus catidris, L. Common in the winter, but does 

 not stay to breed. 



GREENSHANK, Totanus canescens, J. F. Gmelin. One or two birds 

 are occasionally met with in winter, but it is decidedly very 

 rare at present in the southern half of the Long Island, 

 although in Macgillivray's time it seemed to have been more 

 common. In their notes of this bird by Messrs. Harvie-Brown 

 and Buckley in "Vertebrate Fauna of Outer Hebrides," I think 

 they mistake Macgillivray's meaning when they state that "he 

 speaks of their numbers in Uist, Harris, and Lewis as 

 astonishing.' 1 '' Now the term " astonishing " was applied by 

 Macgillivray to the number of the lakes in these islands, which 

 certainly are very numerous, and not to the birds, as may be 

 seen from his words, which are as follow : " Many individuals 

 remain during the summer, when they are to be found by the 

 lakes in the interior, of which the number in Uist, Harris, and 

 Lewis is astonishing," vol. iv. p. 322. Further on he mentions 

 having once found the nest of this bird in Harris, and then 

 states that "although in summer these birds may be seen in 

 many parts of these islands, they are yet very rare, a pair being 

 to be met with only at the interval of several miles." A little 

 attention to the text would have prevented this mistake. 



BAR-TAILED GODWIT, Limosa lapponica (L.) Plentiful in winter, 

 arriving in September and leaving in April. 



WHIMBREL, Nitmenius phxopus (L.) Small flocks arrive at the 

 beginning of May and leave at the end of the month. A few 

 birds are seen on the return autumn migration. One bird has 

 to my certain knowledge been permanently resident on the 

 island since I came five years ago, as I have already recorded 

 in the "Annals." I saw it when last in the locality a few weeks 

 ago ; and as it is not a wounded bird, its staying on the island 

 is very remarkable. 



CURLEW, Numenius arquata, L. Common, except at the breeding 

 season, when only a few birds remain ; but it has never been 

 known to breed on the island. 



ARCTIC TERN, Sterna niacrura, Naumann. Common as a breeding 

 species, arriving about the middle of May. I have never seen 

 the Common Tern in Barra. 





