ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 183 



able to identify it beyond doubt. I was first attracted by the bird's 

 peculiar note, with which I am quite familiar from my Fair Isle 

 experiences which extend over several autumns. GEORGE STOUT, 

 Glasgow. 



[We have no hesitation in accepting this record, for Mr. Stout 

 is, to our knowledge, quite familiar with this bird. The record is 

 of great interest as being the first known instance of the occurrence 

 of Phylloscopns superciliosus in spring in the British Islands and 

 for the mainland of Scotland. EDS.] 



Early appearance of the Swift. Is the Swift inclining to spend 

 a longer time with us ? In my ornithological notes, dating back to 

 1 88 1, I find the Swift usually makes its departure some time in 

 August and returns in the second week of May ; but here are my 

 records for the last few years, made at Duddingston : 



Swift first seen, 18.5.03 last seen, 10.9.03 



12.5.04 i3-9-4 



7.5-5 iS-9-S 



2.5.06 2.9.06 



7-9-07 



3.5.08 17.9.08 



28.4.09 



I have never noted the first appearance of the Swift in April till this 

 year. April 28th was a cold day with occasional showers of sleety 

 hail ; the day following was also cold, when I again noted Swifts 

 careering round the Manse. WILLIAM SERLE, Duddingston. 



Hoopoe in Skye. In the Scotsman Mr. A. R. Macdonald 

 records the occurrence of a Hoopoe (Upupa epops) at Waternish 

 on the 27th of April. There appears to be only one previous record 

 for the Island, namely that in The Field (27th Nov. 1880) of one 

 in October in the Sconser Deer Forest. 



Little Bittern in Orkney. According to the Orkney Herald 

 for igth May, Mr. Cowan, Tankerness House, received a Little 

 Bittern (Ardetta minuta) from Binscarth, where it was caught alive. 

 It died soon after capture and was forwarded to Edinburgh for 

 preservation, and is an adult male. It is said to be the second 

 known occurrence of this species in Orkney. The only other 

 example was shot as long ago as 1806, in the Island of Sanday. 



Solway " Gray Geese." We have had quite a remarkable 

 number of Wild Geese on the green grassy shores and fields of the 

 Firth margins. Barnacles were, of course, in their usual numbers, 

 but it is of the Gray Geese I wish to make a note. For several 

 years past the Bean Geese and the Pink Foot Geese have been 

 fairly numerous, and the prevailing species. Since the end of 

 September, however, when the Gray Geese began to come in, the 

 Gray Lags have been the dominant species and very numerous 



