ON THE AVIFAUNA OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES 83 



ON THE AVIFAUNA OF THE OUTER 

 HEBRIDES, 1888-1902. 



By J. A. HARVIE-BROWN. 

 INTRODUCTORY. 



BEFORE speaking of certain information regarding the fauna 

 of these islands which has come to my knowledge since the 

 date of the publication of the " Fauna of the Outer Hebrides," I 

 desire to give a short resume Qi the opportunities I enjoyed when 

 studying the fauna preparatory to the issue of that volume. 



In 1870 Colonel H. W. Feilden and the present writer 

 worked certain of the islands of the group, including part 

 of the Long Island, which is composed of Harris and Lewis. 

 The following islands were very fully investigated, viz. : 

 Harris, where I (by the permission of Lord Dunmore) visited 

 several eyries of golden and white-tailed eagles ; North Uist, 

 where we spent our time at Lochmaddy and at Newton. 

 We then travelled southwards, and spent a week at Balranald, 

 principally for the purpose of seeing certain rare species in 

 their known nesting haunts. After this was accomplished, 

 and other work done, we took steamer to Castlebay, Barra, 

 where we secured the use of the long-boat with its crew, 

 which carried the letters to the lighthouse on Barra Head. 

 Three days were spent at the lighthouse, and a knowledge 

 was obtained of the rock-fowls which inhabited its cliffs ; 

 and we also visited the adjoining island of Mingulay, an 

 even more interesting spot. Returning to Castlebay, Barra, 

 we were afterwards landed at the south end of South Uist 

 at Polachar, were driven on to Grogary, where we spent 

 some weeks, and Feilden remained about ten days longer 

 after I was obliged to return home. 



While at Nunton, in Benbecula, Feilden spent one whole 

 day upon the island of Wiay, having been tempted to do 

 so by the report that the Buffon's Skua bred there. He 

 describes that walk as the hardest bit of work he did in the 

 isles, and as about the most unremunerative. So much, then, 

 regarding my earliest experiences of the group. 



In 1879 I resided for several weeks at Newton, North 



