154 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



early in October, as in 1893, when they bulked most from 

 the 4th to the 9th of that month. Another remarkable 

 feature was the almost total absence of Charadriidse, 

 excepting some of the commoner sorts. The Greenshank 

 (Totauus canescens], the Bar-tailed Godwit (Liinosa lapponica), 

 the Curlew Sandpiper ( Tringa subarquata), the Little Stint 

 (Tringa minuta), being altogether absent, or at least 

 unobserved ; while the Ruff (Machetes pugnax] was only 

 represented by some six individuals, and the Knot (Tringa 

 C'Mintus] by only a single specimen. It would be interesting 

 to note if this has been the experience of other observers 

 all along our east coast. 



o 



I arrived in North Ronaldshay with my family from the 

 south on 1st August. On the following day I had a look 

 round, but did not see much of interest ; a number of Turn- 

 stones (Strepsilas interpret) in breeding plumage, and a 

 single Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus} being all that is worth 

 mentioning. On the following day, 3rd Aug., Traill and 

 myself were out after Golden Plover (Charadrius pluvialis}. 

 We found them more plentiful here this season than I have 

 ever seen them, excepting the year 1892, when they were 

 unusually numerous; the Lapwing (Vanellus cristatus} is 

 also more abundant, large numbers having hatched out, as 

 the natives inform me. On this day we saw a single 

 Whimbrel {Nuincnius phceopus], which we secured. On 4th 

 Aug. I found a Twite's nest (Linota flavirostris) on the ridge 

 of a furrow in a potato -field ; the nest, which contained 

 four hard-set eggs, was quite exposed, as the potato shaws 

 and other vegetation had quite died down, but it was well 

 sunk, the rim being almost flush with the sandy soil like that 

 of a lark's. On 7th Aug., with the wind northerly, I saw 

 a single Pied Wagtail (Motacilla lugubris] ; it was a bird of 

 the year, and was sitting on the sheep-dyke on the south side 

 of the island. I shot a Whimbrel, a single bird, and also 

 saw the first Merlin (Falco cesalon) of the season. I shot 

 six Turnstones from a flock of from twenty to thirty 

 individuals : these birds were in rather mixed plumage, 

 much abraded on the back and scapulars. Aug. 8 was a 

 dull, showery day. I saw two small lots of Whimbrel, three 

 and four in each flock, but they seemed scarce here this 



