76 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



as possible in my father's own words. I leave out a few 

 repetitions and bring together all that is said about any one 

 bird. 



Of the land birds which are resident, the largest is the 

 RAVEN \Corvus corax\ and the most numerous the HOODED 

 CROW \Corvus comix] and the STARLING [Sturnus vulgaris}. 

 There are also resident two species of HAWK, a few SNIPE 

 \Gallingo gallinago\ the ROCK PIPIT \_AntJiiis obscums\ 

 and the WREN [ Troglodytes parvulus}. The TWITE [Linota 

 flavirostris\, the WHEATEAR \_Saxicola <xnantJie\ are summer 

 visitors. The BLACKBIRD \Turdus merula], and the THRUSH 

 \Turdiis musicus\ are regular winter visitors. The SWALLOW 

 \_Hintndo rusticd\, the ROOK \Corvus frugilegus^ the PLOVER 

 and the EAGLE are occasional visitors. A few WOODCOCK 

 \Scolopax nisticula] come generally in November but not 

 regularly. Two or three HERONS \Ardea ciiiered\ at a time 

 come about every fourth year and die of starvation. The 

 CUCKOO \Cnculus canorus] is a still rarer spring visitor, and 

 the natives say that it comes to bring some news of 

 importance, such as of a visit from the proprietor or of 

 his marriage or death. During stormy weather in October 

 a few WILD GEESE and a SWAN or two visit the island. 

 Also more regularly a species of small duck and an occa- 

 sional EIDER DUCK \Somateria mollissiind\. In November, 

 under the same conditions, a few more GEESE and SWANS 

 will arrive with a few MALLARD \Anas boscas\ but they 

 seldom at any time remain longer than a few days. One 

 day some village boys noticed a SWAN in the broken 

 water at the head of the bay and would not allow it to land. 

 As the clay was quite calm with a heavy surf it never could 

 rise high enough to overtop the curling surf. It swam about 

 for hours in the space between the sand and the breakers, 

 but at last, quite exhausted, it laid down its head and floated 

 ashore. It lay so quiet that I thought it could be tamed, 

 and brought it home, and shut it up for the night in a bed- 

 room. Fortunately I tied it by the foot to a bed-post, for 

 next morning when it revived it smashed everything within 

 reach, and was so furious and aggressive that it had to be 

 destroyed. 



The SANDPIPER [? Ring Plover, sEgialitis Jitaticula} is the 



