SOME RARE BIRDS FROM SCOTTISH STATIONS 139 



as it does not seem to undertake extensive migrations, and 

 in its western or African habitats, which are those lying 

 nearest to our shores, is a sedentary bird. 



ORTOLAN BUNTING (Emberiza hortulana}. - - On the 

 1st of June a number of Ortolan Buntings arrived at Fair 

 Isle, along with sundry other migratory birds, and three 

 specimens two males and a female were sent me. This 

 species has only been observed as a visitor to Scotland on a 

 few previous occasions, but may occur more frequently on 

 our coasts and those of Eastern England during the periods 

 of passage than is suspected, for it has a high northern 

 summer range in Scandinavia. Its main lines of flight are, 

 however, along the western coast of the Continent, and it 

 occurs at Heligoland in large numbers on both the spring 

 and autumn passages. 



ASIATIC SKYLARK (Alauda arvensis cinerea]. Last, but 

 not least in interest, is the occurrence of this Asiatic race of 

 the Skylark at the lantern of the Flannan Islands light- 

 house on the 24th of February. This form was described 

 by Ehmcke in the " Journ. fur Ornithologie " in 1903 (p. 149), 

 as Alauda cinerea, and is the Alauda arvensis cinerea of 

 Dr. Hartert's " Vogel der palaarktischen Fauna" (p. 247). 

 This capture well illustrates the advantage that accrues from 

 a knowledge of racial forms, since it enables us to determine 

 the areas whence came this remarkably grey skylark to our 

 shores. It has not hitherto been detected in Europe, except 

 in the far East, but, according to Dr. Hartert, it has its 

 home in Western Siberia, Turkestan, Persia, and possibly in 

 Palestine ; and in winter is found on the northern side 

 of the Caucasus, Egypt, Tunis, and Algeria. This bird was 

 submitted to me for determination by Air. George Girdwood, 

 of Dumbarton, and I have to thank Mr. Rothschild and 

 Dr. Hartert for facilities and assistance which rendered this 

 end possible by a comparison with specimens in the un- 

 rivalled collection of Palasarctic birds in the Tring Museum. 

 Mr. Girdwood has most kindly presented this interesting 

 specimen to the collection of birds in the Royal Scottish 

 Museum, where I may remark all the birds here treated of 

 have also found a most appropriate resting-place. 



THE ROYAL SCOTTISH MUSEUM, EDINBURGH. 



