244 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



Mor on the 27th of June and forwarded to me in the flesh a 

 second instance of the erratic occurrence of birds at this island, the 

 first being an autumnal visit from the Short-toed Lark. There is no 

 accounting for the vagaries of birds during the time of their passage 

 movements, nor can we explain why a Central and Southern 

 European bird like the Black Redstart should be found in one of the 

 remotest isles of Northern Britain during the breeding season. 



A Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa grisold) was killed on the morn- 

 ing of June 1 4th, and sent for identification. This species has not 

 been detected before as a migratory visitor to the islands. 



A Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus phragmitis) was obtained on the 

 night of June i6th, and was also sent. This is another addition to 

 the feathered visitors known to occur on this remote islet. 



A fine brown and white variety of the Shag (Phalacrocorax 

 graculus} with white feet was obtained on the 2yth of July, and has 

 been added to the collection of mounted birds in the Royal Scottish 

 Museum. 



I have to thank Mr. William Begg and Mr. Robert Anderson 

 for the excellent notes on migratory birds occurring at this singularly 

 interesting station for observations. WM. EAGLE CLARKE. 



Piebald Water-ouzel in Argyll. A pied Water-ouzel was 

 observed by one of my family in September last near the mouth of 

 a small stream on Loch Feochan. The entire head, neck, and 

 breast were pure white. I do not remember any record of albino 

 or pied varieties of the Dipper, so the occurrence appears to be 

 worth noting. CHAS. H. ALSTON, Letterawe, Loch Awe. 



[Wryneck Nesting- in Renfrewshire. In June 1904 a nest was 

 found in a plantation near Darnley Rifle Range. The nest was 

 situated in a hole in a decayed fir tree. The seven white eggs were 

 laid on the crumbled wood, there being no nest material. The 

 finders did not know what the eggs were and brought them to me 

 for identification. After careful examination I pronounced them to 

 be the eggs of the Wryneck (lynx torquilla). For confirmation I 

 sent the eggs to Mr. Harvie-Brown, who wrote me as follows : 

 "Thanks for the sight of the Wryneck's eggs, which I most certainly 

 consider to be quite correctly identified." It is interesting to know 

 that this rare visitor has nested in Renfrewshire. T. THORNTON 

 MACKEITH, Caldwell, Renfrewshire.] 



[The Wryneck occurs annually in Scotland, mainly on the East 

 Coast, during the spring and autumn, when on its way to and from 

 its summer haunts in N.W. Europe. It has been said to breed in 

 Scotland before, but on evidence which cannot be regarded as satis- 

 factory, and this to some extent applies to the present record. EDS.] 



The Wryneck in Shetland. On the evening of 2nd September 

 last a Wryneck in an exhausted condition was captured near Sum- 

 burgh House, Shetland. It was put in a large conservatory for the 



