86 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



well, but could find no nests ; I fancy they, like the Shovellers, 



bred in Sanday, where Meiklejohn and myself took eggs 



about the end of May. On the 2nd of October I noticed 



numerous small flocks of Wigeon frequenting the lochs in 



North Ronaldshay. 

 TUFTED DUCK (Fuligiila eristata). On the 24th of April I noticed 



a Tufted Drake on the Mill Loch ; he remained a few days. 

 LONG-TAILED DUCK (Harelda glacialis). On the 26th September I 



shot a male on the Mill Loch ; it was a single bird, and the 



first seen for the season. 

 RING-DOVE (Cohtmba palumlnis). Two seen near Holland farm 



towards the end of October. 

 WATER-RAIL (Rallus aquatiats). Two shot on 4th October ; one in 



Holland garden. After this I saw one or two single birds 



before I left in November. 

 LAND-RAIL (Crex pratensis). Abundant, as usual, during the 



breeding season ; I saw six nests in one rushy field. Last bird 



seen i4th October. 

 GOLDEN PLOVER (Charadrius plurialis). Very abundant during 



the first ten days of August ; scarcer than usual after that. 



They put in an appearance very early this season, small flocks 



occurring towards the end of June. 

 GREY PLOVER (Squatarola helvetica}. I shot one on the i2th 



October it was along with Turnstones, and proved to be a 



bird of the year. 

 TURNSTONE (Strepsilas interpret). I have seen this bird in small 



numbers during every month of the year in North Ronaldshay. 

 WOODCOCK (Scolopax rusticola). Two seen loth October. 

 COMMON SNIPE (Gallinago ccelestis). Up to the beginning of 



November one of the worst seasons I have known for Snipe 



here. Most plentiful during August. 

 JACK SNIPE (Gallinago gallinuld). First seen for this season two 



on the 1 6th September. Very numerous in October; during 



that month I shot seventy. Most plentiful on the 2nd, the 



9th, and the 24th October. 

 LITTLE STINT (Tringa minuta}. On the 8th September I saw six 



Little Stints at a small loch near the house. On the gth, two at 



the Mill Loch. On the i4th October one, and on the i6th five. 

 PURPLE SANDPIPER (Tringa striata}. Comparatively scarce up to 



the time of my departure. From my own observations, I 



think that a few of these birds remain here all the year round. 



KNOT (Tringa camitus). On the i5th August I saw two. On the 

 22nd August I saw a flock of about forty, and again on the 

 nth September I saw four. 



