ON THE AVIFAUNA OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES 143 



HEDGE ACCENTOR (Accentor modularis), p. 54. Several pairs 

 were seen in Barra, and two nests were found there in 1892 by Dr. 

 M'Rury, who adds: "I never saw the bird in Uist " ("Ann. Scot. 

 Nat. Hist." 1892, p. 198); but "Mr. J. Finlayson once described a 

 bird to me which could scarcely have been anything other than a 

 Hedge Sparrow." And " a pair at Barra Head " (" Ann. Scot. Nat. 

 Hist," 1894, p. 212) is scheduled. 



THE ST. KILDA WREN (Troglodytes hirtensis), p. 56. We were 

 perhaps somewhat premature in our remarks about this race of Wren 

 in our volume "Fauna of the Outer Hebrides" (vide pp. 56-57), 

 because, as suggested, on " the more remote isles of the group it might 

 survive, as these are less accessible, and not so frequently visited." 

 Since then I have myself heard its song close to the village on the 

 main island, in 1896, and my friend, the late Mr. John Young, obtained 

 eggs from a nest close to the dwelling-house in which he stayed. 

 There is no great need to exaggerate the case of its survival or ex- 

 tinction yet, but there is no doubt it ought to receive some attention 

 for its preservation in the near future. Indeed, it is not the only 

 species, or geographical race, which deserves protection. In 1895 

 Mr. Mackenzie, the factor, described : " the Wren was nearly extinct." 

 Let us hope he will, before it is too late, make some endeavour to 

 protect the remainder from the rapaciousness of collectors, who are 

 the first deserving of blame. It is none the less an interesting bird, 

 because it is not universally admitted to be anything more than a 

 geographical race. 



WREN ( Troglodytes parvulus), p. 56. There is little doubt that 

 the Wrens of the Outer Hebrides are darker in colour than those of 

 the mainland, and may be held as showing an intermediate phase 

 between the St. Kilda bird and the mainland one. I have noticed 

 this several times, and Mr. Chas. V. A. Peel, who has spent many 

 seasons in the Outer Hebrides, and has always paid attention to the 

 birds he met with when shooting in Lewis, North Uist, and Ben- 

 becula, also says : " This bird the Wren is much darker than the 

 Wren found on the mainland." Here is an opportunity for some 

 investigator who likes to make out " new species " to minutely 

 describe and claim it ! 



WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba), p. 57. This may now be 

 claimed as a regular spring and autumn migrant. Numbers are 

 seen on the island of Barra almost every season. Thus we find 

 migrants appearing in May, in the usually smaller numbers of the 

 spring movements, and the following autumn August numbers 

 seen all over the island. Almost certainly all the Wagtails referred 

 to in the schedules sent me by the late Mr. Agnew from Monach 

 Isles were White Wagtails. Under date of April 26, 1888, is an 

 entry: "2 Wagtails, i P.M.," and the accompanying note : "These 



