74 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



177. GREY LAG GOOSE, Anser anser. " Grey Geese" appear every 



year, but are seldom satisfactorily identified. In 1908, how- 

 ever, several Grey Lags visited the island, and their identity 

 was established beyond a doubt. 



178. TUFTED DUCK, Fuligida cristata. One or two appeared on 



migration, which is not very surprising since the bird is a 

 summer visitor to Scandinavia. Fair Isle, however, offers 

 no feeding resorts for the fresh-water diving ducks ; but it is 

 somewhat strange that we have not more information con- 

 cerning the bird as a migrant in other isles of the Shetland 

 group which afford suitable haunts : it is probably much 

 overlooked. 



179. GREY PLOVER, Sqnatarola helvetica. -T}\\s species, being 



essentially a shore bird during its visits to the British Isles, 

 finds little or nothing suited to its requirements at Fair Isle, 

 whose rock- bound coast-line offers little attractions for 

 wading birds. The reefs at the south-western corner are 

 the chief resort of the few shore birds that do alight, but this 

 haunt is a most difficult one to explore, owing to its rugged 

 nature, the out-crop of the strata being almost perpendicular, 

 and their exposed edges irregular, sharp, and saw-like. I saw 

 a single Grey Plover flying high over the island, and heard its 

 familiar note. Though a flock of Golden Plover were on the 

 wing at the time, and close at hand, this bird did not join it. 



1 80. TEMMINCK'S STINT, Tringa temmincki. The species must be 



considered a very rare visitor to Scotland, for it has only, 

 I believe, been recorded for Aberdeenshire. It will be 

 interesting to observe if it repeats its autumn appearance at 

 Fair Isle. 



1 8 1. WOOD SANDPIPER, Totanus glareola. This is a not unexpected 



addition to the fauna of Fair Isle, for the bird is a common 

 summer visitor to northern Europe. It has, however, not 

 yet been detected on its passages elsewhere in Shetland, and 

 has only once been recorded for Orkney. 



182. GREENSHANK, Totanus canescens. A single bird was observed 



for several days during the autumn. It haunted the reefs 

 at the south-west comer of the island. 



183. BAR-TAILED GODWIT, Limosa lapponica. This is another of 



the waders which was not detected until the present year 

 (1908). There is no reason to doubt that it occurs 

 annually at the seasons of passage, but probably in only 

 small numbers, as suitable feeding grounds are wanting. 



184. BLACK-TAILED GODWIT, Limosa /imosa.--One visited the 



island in mid-winter, and frequented a croft which was in 

 a very moist condition at the time. 



