212 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



MEALY REDPOLL, Linota linaria. This species should not properly 

 be entered as a summer bird, but is inserted here lest the 

 record be lost. On i5th July, Mr. White, the schoolmaster at 

 Baltasound, showed me a live bird, and has since informed me 

 that it "was caught in our garden on the 25th April last. It 

 was seen hovering about from shrub to shrub two or three days 

 previous to the 25th along with its mate, and my two sons had 

 made a few attempts to capture them as they seemed so tame. 

 I suggested that a piece of herring-net should be thrown over 

 the boor-tree where they were. This they did, and one of the 

 birds got entangled in the meshes of the net and was thus 

 captured. The other got away, but shortly after I understand 

 it was also caught down near Baltasound Voe, and is taking 

 well with its confinement." 



TWITE, Linota flavirostr is. Fairly common in the cultivated districts, 

 and occurring also on the " banks " or cliffs, and on small 

 islands. I found a nest in Yell, situated between two perpen- 

 dicular slabs of rock at the head of a cliff. 



BUNTING, Emberiza miliaria. --The harsh song of the Common 

 Bunting is constantly heard beside human habitations, and the 

 bird is widely distributed. Here and there, however, are 

 stretches of wild moorland from which the bird is entirely 

 absent. 



SKYLARK, Alauda arvensis. The Skylark is undoubtedly the bird of 

 Shetland, keeping the hills in perpetual music, day and night, 

 during midsummer. 



STARLING, Sturnus vulgaris. The Starling occurs in great profusion 

 throughout the islands, being especially abundant on the shore 

 and on small uninhabited islands. In Shetland the bird some- 

 times alights on the back of a pony. In the smaller isles the 

 Starling nests in holes in the ground amongst stones or in old 

 burrows. 



HOODED CROW, Corvus comix. This abundant species is generally 

 distributed, and often surprisingly bold, coming close to the 

 crofts for its food. The first indications of flocking were given 

 on 2nd July, when I saw a party of twenty together in North 

 Roe. 



RAVEN, Corvus cor ax. The Raven still remains an abundant species 

 in Shetland, and seems not to be influenced in numbers by the 

 persecution meted out to it. They nest generally, though 

 not always, in sites difficult of access. By the time of my 

 arrival, young broods were already able to fly, and I came 

 on family parties of five and of six birds several times. On one 

 occasion I saw a Raven pursuing an Erne, but I have seen him 

 in his turn being harassed by a Crow. 



