50 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



northern species (P. major), was seen at Lerwick ; and a large flock 

 of Bramblings, hundreds of them, appeared at Sound. And on the 

 9th between twenty and thirty Swallows were observed at Lerwick ; 

 also Blackbirds, Twites, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, and Redstarts. 



A Nightjar was found dead floating in the harbour at Lerwick 

 on 2oth October. It was badly damaged, having apparently come 

 in contact with some object during flight. 



There was a rush of birds at Lerwick from the 5th to the loth 

 of October of a very unusual and extensive kind. It was not 

 confined to a small space, but extended from the north to the south 

 end of the town, the birds, judging from the sound, apparently 

 travelling from an easterly to a southerly or south-westerly direction. 

 I heard them passing overhead from 7.30 till after 10 P.M., and, 

 judging from the frequency of the calls, the birds must have been in 

 countless numbers. Unfortunately, owing to the darkness it was 

 impossible to see them, but I drew the attention of a number of 

 people to the migration. I was able to recognise the call of the 

 Redwing. 



The Bullfinch referred to on yth October was apparently attracted 

 by the light, and came to a window of a house at the Hillhead, 

 Lerwick. The bird was captured alive and put in a cage, under the 

 impression that it had escaped. Another, a female, came to our dining- 

 room between 9 and 10 P.M. on nth October. My sister (who saw 

 the Bullfinches last winter) heard it, and lifted up the blind and got 

 a good view of it sitting on the sill. JOHN S. TULLOCH, Lerwick. 



Bird Notes from North Shetland for 1906. SNOWY OWL 

 (Nyctea scandiaca). One shot on 3oth January. SPOTTED FLY- 

 CATCHER (Muscicapa grisola). Two seen on loth April. A rare 

 bird of passage in Unst. CRANE (Grus rit?erea).One seen on 

 1 6th May. BUFFON'S SKUA (Stercorarius parasiticits). One on 

 3oth May. The second I have seen during eight years of observa- 

 tion. BLUETHROAT (Cyanecula suedca). One seen on 25th 

 September ; two on the following day. GREAT TITMOUSE (Parus 

 major). One killed on 1 6th October ; came into the house through 

 an open window. Single birds also seen on the iyth and 2ist. 

 CORNCRAKE (Crex pratensis). A male killed on i8th October. 

 NORTHERN BULLFINCH (Pyrrhula major). Many seen on 4th 

 November. T. EDMONSTON SAXBY, Baltasound, Unst. 



Albino Brambling in Fife. On the nth of December we saw 

 a most beautiful Albino Brambling (Fringilla montifringilld). It 

 was sitting in the trees on Lahill Avenue, with a large flock of 

 ordinary Bramblings. It was pure white on the crown of the head, 

 tail, primaries, and scapulars, and whitish on the back and rump. 

 The breast was a pale plum colour shading off into white, and on 

 the sides of the head, nape, and secondaries there was some brown. 

 It flew and behaved in all ways as an ordinary Brambling, of which 



