SOME BIRD NOTES FROM THE OUTER HEBRIDES 211 



is common, his plaintive whistle makes a welcome addition to 

 the Skylark's repertoire. 



NIGHTJAR, Cafrimulgus eiiroptzus, Linn. This species is an 

 addition to the list. After an extra violent gale from the S.E. 

 we saw one, evidently exhausted, on the " machair " (the low- 

 lying ground) on 2nd June. It was being mobbed by Pewits 

 and Gulls. 



CUCKOO, Citcuhis canorus, Linn. This was a bad year for Cuckoos. 

 Whereas last year they were fairly common, this I heard but 

 two, and that not till igth June. I often wonder what attrac- 

 tions they can possibly find in such a barren place. 



BARN OWL, Strix flammea, Linn. In his "Appendix" to the Avi- 

 fauna of the Outer Hebrides, Mr. Harvie-Brown includes 

 this species in brackets. I do not know whether such evidence 

 as I can supply will be of sufficient importance for these to be 

 removed. I heard its peculiar cry about midnight on 

 several occasions about yth June, but was never in the twilight 

 able to detect the author. 



SHORT-EARED OWL, Asia acdpitrinus, Pall. Though observed in 

 comparatively plentiful numbers last year, not a single specimen 

 was in evidence this. This fact would be in accord with the 

 well-known sporadic habits of this species. 



HEN HARRIER, Cyrcus cyaneus, Linn. Males were observed 

 plentifully last year. I had not caught a glimpse of one on 

 this occasion till near the end of our stay. On 25th June 

 I flushed a female in a little-frequented spot. She flew round 

 my head, uttering cries of anxiety. The cause thereof was 

 found to be a solitary young one about fourteen days old, still 

 covered with down, with bright yellow cere and talons. He 

 was sitting on a few twigs of heather under a rock on the side 

 of a steep incline. From its rude structure, the nest 

 appeared to have been recently made ; the real nest was 

 found thirty yards farther on amongst some deep heather. 

 No trace of young or egg-shells could be detected on the 

 original site. It would appear that the young one had been 

 removed by the parents, and not washed out by some newly 

 formed torrent ; for the new nest was not below the original 

 one, but thirty yards to one side of it, on the same horizontal 

 level. I am glad to be able to report that the keepers, acting 

 on instructions from headquarters, did not attempt to shoot the 

 old birds, and spared the life of their offspring. 



PEREGRINE, Fako peregrimts, Tunstall. On i3th June a fine pair 

 were shot off some sea-girt rocks by the keepers, presumably 

 in the neighbourhood of their nest. The female, a particularly 

 fine specimen, weighed 2 Ibs., her mate | Ib. less. The male 



