4 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



October I saw a single Bernacle Goose, and on ist Novem- 

 ber three Brent Geese. These latter were so tame that I 

 walked up within gunshot of them on the sands without 

 disturbing them. On the 3rd November, for the first time, I 

 noticed large flocks of Bernacle, Brent, and Grey-lag Geese, 

 also a flock of thirteen Whooper Swans flying over. On a 

 still day Barra Sound is seen to be teeming with bird-life. 

 The Great Northern Diver is a common bird, and five or 

 six may often be seen at one moment. The Slavonian 

 Grebe is also by no means uncommon, and I have seen five 

 in one morning round the rocks. I have counted over 300 

 Mergansers in one small bay. The Eider Ducks and Long- 

 tailed Ducks are more select and go about in smaller 

 parties, but they are scattered in every direction. There are 

 a few Black Guillemots and an abundance of Gulls ; amongst 

 the latter, however, the Lesser Black-backed is conspicuous 

 by its absence. Manx Shearwaters and Arctic Skuas are 

 scarce, but an occasional one may be seen near the open sea. 

 Redwings and Fieldfares had arrived on the 3rd November, 

 and on the same day I saw a flock of Bramblings, and on 

 the 5th came upon a flock of Snow-Buntings on the Island 

 of Fuday. 



It is curious to watch the Seals following my Pekingese 

 Spaniel along the shore for half a mile or more, even when 

 he is on the sandhills above them and quite sixty to seventy 

 yards from the sea. I have seen as many as sixteen 

 collect and swim close to the shore in sight of him. 



On an island near Tobermory, on my way to the Outer 

 Hebrides, I saw a Stoat slip into the sea, without a moment's 

 hesitation, as an Otter would take to the river, and swim over 

 to another island. 



Before leaving the Outer Hebrides I spent one morning 

 on South Uist (6th November). There were very large 

 flocks of Bernacle and White-fronted Geese on the western 

 side of the island, and a considerable number of Whooper 

 Swans on one of the lochs, also six Grey Plovers on the 

 shore of the loch. Just before reaching the pier where my 

 launch was waiting for me, I put up a Redstart. It sat on 

 a wire fence close to me, and gave me ample opportunity of 

 seeing from its size, uniform sooty-brown plumage, and red 



