ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 



55 



order to preserve the plumage, it was only wounded ; and as Mr. 

 Brotherston was in the act of picking it up, it seized his hand with 

 its beak, and speedily drew blood. The bird had been observed in 

 the neighbourhood for some days before being shot. ROBERT B. 

 BELL, Edinburgh. 



Stock Dove (Columba outlets) in Shetland. The first specimen 



of this species that is known to have occurred in Shetland was shot 



on the 1 4th of November last, at Dunrossness, by Messrs. R. and T. 



Henderson, who kindly forwarded its skin to me for identification. 



J. A. HARVIE-BROWN. 



Quail (Coturnix commit nis) in Elginshire. Mr. James Brown 

 of Forres informs me that an unusual number of Quail made their 

 appearance in that district during the months of September and 

 October. Mr. Brown examined two shot near Forres, and several 

 more were seen. Specimens have also been obtained in the parishes 

 of Kinloss and Alves. J. A. HARVIE-BROWN. 



Little Auk (Alca alle) in the Outer Hebrides in Summer. On 



the 24th of June 1893 a Little Auk was captured at the Monach 

 Islands, and its skin kindly forwarded to us by Mr. Wm. A. Tulloch, 

 one of the keepers at the lighthouse there. Mr. Tulloch informs 

 us that he observed the bird in the vicinity of the lighthouse for 

 several days before its capture was effected, and that on skinning 

 the specimen he found " a hard substance on the back of the head, 

 growing from the bone, and about the size of a sparrow's egg." 

 This diseased condition may account for its occurrence in the Outer 

 Hebrides at this unusual season of the year. This specimen is in a 

 phase of plumage which we do not find described in the standard 

 works devoted to our birds. It may be described generally as being 

 in winter plumage, with the addition of a broad dusky band across 

 the breast. This band is quite black at the sides, but becomes 

 admixed with white in the centre, where the proportions of the two 

 colours are equal. That this particular phase of plumage is not 

 abnormal is borne out by the fact that a specimen in the Edinburgh 

 Museum of Science and Art, and procured at Port Seaton on the 

 1 8th November 1861, is in identical dress. J. A. HARVIE-BROWN 

 and WM. EAGLE CLARKE. 



Buffon's Skua (Stercorarius parasiticus) in Orkney. While my 

 brother-in-law Mr. Hebden of Eday was driving over his estate 

 on the 4th September last, he informed me that he had seen a 

 strange bird in company with a large flock of gulls on a grass field. 

 This bird appeared to be feeding, and was so tame as to allow of its 

 being approached to within about five yards ; and from the description 

 given to me I concluded it must be either Richardson's or Buffon's 

 Skua. On the day following the bird was sent to me, and proved to 

 be a male specimen of Buffon's Skua. It is the only specimen I 



