78 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



GALLINAGO CCELESTIS, Snipe. I must differ from Mr. MacElfrish, 

 who says he had never seen Snipe on the sands or ooze. I oftea 

 saw small lots in favourite haunts, especially if there is a touch of 

 frost, on one of our best snipe-bogs which lies close to the sea. 

 Every bird raised makes for the shore, and so well do we know this, 

 under these conditions, that we always then try to be at that 

 particular place when it is high water. 



STERNA FLUVIATILIS, Common Tern. Becoming very numerous ; 

 also the Arctic species fairly so. 



STERNA MINUTA, Lesser Tern. A severe storm destroyed their 

 nests in South Uist in the summer of 1901. It was immediately 

 after this Mr. MacGillivray found them nesting in Barra, i.e. in 1902, 

 for the first time on record. 



REPORT ON THE MOVEMENTS AND OCCUR- 

 RENCE OF BIRDS IN SCOTLAND DURING 



1902. 



By T. G. LAIDLAW, M.B.O.U. 



THE schedules returned by the lightkeepers during 1902 

 show a slight decrease in number as compared with the 

 preceding year, and, at several important Stations, a serious 

 falling off in the individual entries ; while other Stations 

 from which we used to receive contributions have failed to 

 supply any returns. This result, we hope, is not due to a 

 failing interest in the subject ; but is to be ascribed to the 

 extensive changes in the personnel of the staffs which have 

 been made during the year, and this has no doubt affected 

 the continuity of the records. 



We express the hope that the new keepers at the 

 Stations will manifest an interest in the matter, and con- 

 tinue the observations begun by their predecessors. 



It is satisfactory to observe that our Inland corre- 

 spondents have furnished us with thirty-three schedules, 

 the same number as last year, besides supplying a number 

 of valuable notes. We trust we may rely on their co-opera- 

 tion during the present year. 



Our thanks are again accorded to all those who have 



