BIRD NOTES FROM NORTH RONALDSHAY 71 



August and September I have spent here, but never more than 

 two or three together. This season, 1892, I have seen about 

 ten birds. One family party of five I chased half way round 

 the island before I managed to get on terms with them ; how- 

 ever, I eventually succeeded in securing a pair. This was on 

 1 4th September. Since then, I have only seen two birds. 



SWIFT (Cypselus opus). Killed one 26th August 1892 : two others 

 were along with it. These birds were flying in a westerly 

 direction over the island, the wind being S.W. and the weather 

 very stormy. This is the first occasion on which I have noticed 

 this bird in North Ronaldshay. 



LONG-EARED OWL (Asia of us). I shot one, a male, in Holland 

 Garden, 24th November 1892. 



SHORT-EARED OWL (Asia accipitrinus). Saw one, a male, on 2nd 

 December 1892, which rose out of some reeds by the edge of 

 a small loch, where I was after Snipe. I killed it and a Snipe, 

 right and left. I came across another on the night of 3rd 

 December when I was waiting for duck. It circled round me 

 several times, but I refrained from shooting it. I hear from 

 the natives at times that they have seen a Cat-face (their 

 name for an owl) among their turnips, and I fancy in most 

 cases they mean this bird. 



SCOPS-EARED OWL (Scops aldrovandi}. A bird of this species was 

 caught alive on 2nd June 1892, in an outhouse at the Light- 

 house, by Mrs. Ross, wife of the head light-keeper. It lived 

 for some days, but eventually choked over a piece of meat ; 

 when Mr. Ross had it stuffed, and it is now in his possession. 

 This is, I believe, the first instance of this bird being recorded 

 in Orkney. 



SNOWY OWL (Nyctea scandiaca). On the 2nd November 1892 Mr. 

 Angus (the farmer at Holland) sent a message to the house to 

 inform me that there was a very large owl sitting in one of his 

 fields. Unfortunately I had set out for the north end of the 

 island. Next morning I had a good look all round, but did not 

 search the rocks on the west shore, close to where it had been 

 seen. I understand it was seen on these rocks the day after my 

 ineffectual search. From Mr. Angus's description, there is little 

 doubt but that this was the Snowy Owl. He told me, when first 

 his attention was called to it the bird was sitting in a stubble- 

 field. What first drew his attention was the row the gulls were 

 making, mobbing it. It was seen subsequently by two other 

 men and a daughter of the farmer. This is likely to have 

 been the same bird seen by Mr. Harvie-Brown at Quendale, 

 Shetland, and recorded in the January number of this 



magazine. 



