ON THE AVIFAUNA OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES 9 



One nest of Lapwings' eggs was found on Pabay More, an 

 island off the west side of Lewis, in June 1901 ; and one nest with 

 four eggs was taken in Bernera in May 1902. 



RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (P. hyperboreus), p. 129. Of birds 

 formerly comparatively rare as breeding species, the same corre- 

 spondent mentioned under Swan, Terns, etc., instances the Red- 

 necked Phalarope as having greatly increased. He says : " When 

 I came here seventeen years ago it was a very rare thing to see 

 more than two pairs in a season. Now, i.e. in the summer of 

 1900, I counted about thirty pairs round their favourite haunt ; 

 but, besides, they are fairly well distributed over the islands in the 

 nesting season." I may, however, say that his remarks cannot be 

 held to refer to any of the islands or any parts of the mainshores or 

 lochs north of the Sound of Harris. Similar evidence is borne out 

 by the excellent notes I have received from Mr. M'Elfrish, who 

 mentions seeing a flock of about fifty at one locality. He adds, 

 however, that he had never seen a flock before. More data are 

 required to establish the fact of an increase. 



GREY PHALAROPE (P. fulicarius\ p. 130. The first record of 

 the species in the Outer Hebrides bears date of about October 20, 

 1900, as given by Buckley, and was shot at Lochmaddy. In 1901 

 Mr. Eagle Clarke received the wing and leg of one obtained at 

 Eilean Ghlais Lighthouse on November 3, and Dr. John M'Rury 

 records one found in Barra in September ("Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist." 

 1892, p. 139 ; 1894, p. 207). 



WOODCOCK (Scolopax rusticola), p. 130. We have recorded 

 in the first number of the " Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist." the nesting of 

 the Woodcock in the Outer Hebrides. This record may, I consider, 

 be looked upon as the first positive information we possessed of the 

 fact, and of the extension from the mainland or Inner Hebrides. 



According to Prof. Duns, the Woodcock has never been known 

 to nest in The Lews up to the date of 1865 ("Fauna of the Outer 

 Hebrides," p. 130). Then we were told that it bred at Stornoway 

 in 1879 by Mr. Greenwood (loc. cit.}. There are earlier general 

 statements, however, which ought not to be lost sight of, viz. those 

 given in the sporting accounts of " Sixty-One," * and Mr. Newall, 

 who, in a very casual way, describes it as follows : " Woodcock do 

 not breed there " i.e. in The Lews -" except so occasionally as to 

 prove the rule." 



Very likely he had good reason for making this remark, but the 

 next statement is not quite so worthy of repetition, and rather points 

 to the possibility that the first is also imperfect, viz. he goes on to 

 say : " as is the case on the mainland coast opposite " (i.e. excep- 

 tional). Woodcocks were, however, known to breed in many other 



1 Ilely-Hutchison. 



