ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 185 



fortunately the specimen is not in good condition, for it has been 

 pulled about by one of the shepherd's dogs. JAMES BARTHOLOMEW, 

 Kinnelhead. 



[The bird was an adult male Hawfinch (Coccothraustes vulgaris}. 

 -Eos.] 



Great Grey Shrike in Kineardineshire. On 8th March a Great 

 Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor) was seen at a thorn hedge alongside 

 the road at Drumtochty Kennels, where it evidently had its larder, 

 for there were the remains of several small birds, chiefly Chaffinches. 

 One of the keepers shot it on the i 2th of March, and sent it to me. 

 This is new to my list of Kineardineshire birds. A. NICOL SIMPSON, 

 Fordoun. 



Dipper's Nest in Tree. A Dipper (Cinclus agitatiais) this season 

 built its nest in the fork of a tree at Tillyfoure, on the banks of the 

 Don. Unfortunately it was destroyed by a boy. It would have 

 been about 1 2 feet from the ground, according to the account I got 

 from Mr. Grant, the keeper there. THOMAS TAIT, Inverurie. 



Snowy Owl and Spring 1 Migrants in Southern Shetland. I 



have not seen much worth noting this spring, as the wind has always 

 been northerly or westerly. We have a good many Swans on their 

 passage northwards during April ; and I saw a fine Snowy Owl 

 (Nyctea scandiacd) also passing north on the 23rd of that month. 

 A solitary male Pied Wagtail (Motadlla lugubris) appeared on the 

 2ist of April, and is the only one I have seen or heard of this 

 spring. The Wheatears (Saxicola cenanthe) have been unusually late 

 in arriving this year; I did not see any until the 28th of April. I 

 saw a Redbreast (Erithacus rubecula) on the 2nd of May. I had 

 recently a fine view of a pair of Peregrines (Falco peregrinus\ one of 

 which struck and carried off a Starling within a dozen yards of me. 

 -THOMAS HENDERSON, Jun., Dunrossness. 



Greenland Falcon in Orkney. A fine Falcon was trapped by a 

 shepherd on my property at Hobister, in the parish of Orphit, Main- 

 land, Orkney, on the 23rd of March 1903. The bird was attracted 

 to the shepherd's house by the domestic ducks, at one of which it 

 swooped, killed, and commenced to feed. The shepherd, who had 

 witnessed the incident, ran forward, when the Falcon flew off with its 

 prey, which it dropped on reaching a considerable height. The 

 shepherd, having secured his property, at once procured a trap, and 

 proceeded to set it at the place where he had picked up the duck, 

 using the latter as a bait. The Falcon returned in a little time, 

 hovered over the duck, screaming, then swooped down upon it, and 

 was caught by the leg. JAMES GRANT, Kirkwall. 



[We have examined the bird a fine adult female Greenland 

 Falcon (Falco candicans}. EDS.] 



