82 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



OYSTERCATCHER (Htzmatopus ostra/egits). A common summer 

 visitor to the islands. Several pairs nest on Eilean Mhor. 



These birds arrive in March, the yth of the month being 

 the earliest date recorded for their appearance ; and they leave 

 along with their young in August. We saw only a single 

 example during our visit, namely on the i4th of September. 



COMMON SNIPE (Gallinago gallinago). A frequent visitor, though 

 usually appearing in small numbers, during the spring and 

 autumn migratory movements ; also an occasional winter 

 visitor. On the lyth of February, 1904, during snow, great 

 numbers appeared; and a "rush" is chronicled for the loth 

 of December of the same year. 



The spring passage commences about the middle of March, 

 and the bird has occurred as late as the nth. May. 



A few were observed during our visit, the first of which 

 appeared on the i4th of September. It also occurs at 

 intervals in October and November. 



GREAT SNIPE (Gallinago major}. Mr. Begg, who is quite familiar 

 with both the Common and Jack Snipes, tells me that he got 

 quite close to a bird of this species on the 3rd of October, 

 1904. 



JACK SNIPE (Gallinago gallinuld). The chief migratory movement 

 witnessed during our visit was a very remarkable one on the 

 part of this species. The first immigrant was observed by us 

 on the evening of the i4th of September, and this was followed 

 on the night of the i6th or early hours of the i7th by a great 

 rush. The morning of the iyth was characterised by a high 

 wind from the south-west accompanied by a downpour of 

 rain. On venturing out soon after 8 A.M., I found the island 

 swarming with Jack Snipe. They were in astonishing numbers, 

 and sheltering behind rocks, tufts of grass, in the small pools 

 and runnels, and even down the face of cliffs on the north side 

 of the island. In walking across the island I put up a con- 

 tinuous stream of them, in spite of the fact that the birds 

 sat like stones and only those arose on the wing which lay in 

 my course and when I was close upon them. It was a most 

 remarkable experience and one entirely unexpected both on the 

 part of the species and the locality. I believe that a record 

 "bag" could have been made on this sixteen-acre island, 

 in an hour's shooting. It was surprising too, to find that 

 the Jack Snipe migrated in such vast packs. I have no doubt 

 that they were abundant on the other islands of the group, and 

 probably especially so on the adjacent and comparatively flat- 

 topped Eilean Tigh. The birds were present in numbers the 

 entire day, but nearly all, perhaps all, departed during the 

 night, and the few (eight) seen on the following day may have 



