Ii8 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



last. I saw one of them on 23rd February. In my experience 

 it is very unusual for Grey Plover to winter here. We have also 

 had a considerable number of Woodcock (Scolopax rusticula) 

 throughout the winter. A Great Crested Grebe (Podicipes cristatits}, 

 the first I have ever seen here, was obtained on i ith January. 

 THOMAS HENDERSON Jun., Spiggie. 



Supposed Occurrence of the Yellow-shanked Sandpiper near 

 Hawiek. In the " Scotsman " for i4th October 1906, it is recorded 

 that a pair of these birds was shot near Hawiek about the end of 

 July. One of them was fortunately preserved, and was submitted 

 to me some time ago for my opinion as to its identification. I found 

 it to be a young Redshank in first plumage. As no further com- 

 munication has been made to the press regarding it, I have deemed 

 it desirable to publish this note on the subject. WM. EAGLE 

 CLARKE, Edinburgh. 



Fulmar Petrels at Dunnet Head, Caithness. Mr. N. Kinnear 

 having kindly drawn my attention to the Fulmar Petrels (Fulmarus 

 glacialis) nesting at Dunnet Head, Caithness, I have thought it 

 worth while to ascertain particulars, and place the complete facts 

 on record, so far as I have been able to attain them. 



The following account of their advent and recurrence is supplied 

 by Mr. Laidlaw, at my request, through my good friend Mr. Lewis 

 Uunbar of Thurso. Mr. Laidlaw writes : " The first time I 

 observed the Fulmars here was in May 1900. They may have 

 been here before and I not see them. I could only see three 

 birds there. They were below the Lighthouse. In February 1901 

 I saw them again, and counted ten birds that time, and every 

 year they have increased in number. They first came below the 

 Lighthouse. I saw them in no other place until the year 1904, 

 when I noticed some on the east side of the Head about half a 

 mile. I saw two pairs that same year ; and last year (1906) there 

 was one pair about three miles on the Thurso side of the Head. They 

 have been gradually increasing in numbers year by year : as nearly 

 as I can count, there were fifteen pairs below the Lighthouse nine 

 pairs on the east side and six pairs on the west side. That is within 

 the number, as it is impossible to get the correct number when 

 some are flying about. I can't tell the exact date or the month 

 that they come, or in what numbers. What more information you 

 would like I would be glad to give you if I can." 



The above precise account from the resident lighthouse-keeper 

 is of interest now, and may prove of greater interest in the chrono- 

 logical history of the species, and its marvellous dispersal, at some 

 future time. From personal observation of the whole cliff-faces of 

 the promontory, I may, I think, venture to predict a great future 

 for " Fulmardom " in the Pentland Area of Scotland, upon these 



