BIRDS OBSERVED IN SOUTHERN SHETLAND 7 



any marked signs of migration ; and the bird was as abundant 

 as ever at the end of our stay. Mr. T. Henderson, jun., 

 told us that it is not until October that the birds of passage 

 of this order commence to arrive in numbers ; and this is 

 fully borne out by Harvie Brown's valuable notes made 

 during the autumns of 1891 and 1892. On the other hand, 

 we were certainly too late for certain migratory Limicolse. 



WHITE WAGTAIL, Motacilla alba. One of the objects for visiting 

 Shetland was to endeavour to obtain some information regard- 

 ing this species as an autumn bird of passage. Clarke, in his 

 report on the movements of this bird presented to the meeting 

 of the British Association at Bradford on the 6th of September, 

 had expressed a decided opinion that the flocks of Pied Wag- 

 tails said by Saxby to arrive in Unst in the autumn would be 

 found to be composed of White Wagtails. This surmise proved 

 to be correct. 



Within an hour of our arrival on the gth, we observed this 

 bird on the shore a little to the south of Lerwick, and saw it 

 daily down to our departure on the 24th. 



It was chiefly found in parties of from ten to fifteen 

 individuals, consisting of adults and young, and on one 

 occasion, the 1 8th, from forty to fifty were seen together. 



These birds chiefly frequented the shores of the bays of 

 Voe, Virkie, and Grutness on the eastern coast of Dunrossness 

 Parish ; but a few were observed at Spiggie Voe and Quendale 

 Bay on the west side. We did not see the bird anywhere 

 inland ; it was strictly confined to the coast. 



There was an emigration of White Wagtails on the igth, 

 after which date the species became less numerous, and parties 

 of about half a dozen individuals only were seen. 



At Voe the numerous flies in the neighbourhood of the 

 fish-curing stations seemed to be a decided attraction, while at 

 Virkie and Grutness the birds were always busy hunting for 

 insects among the debris at or above high-water mark. 



After our departure a single bird was observed at Spiggie 

 Voe down to the 3rd of October : the latest date on which this 

 species has hitherto been recorded in the British Islands. It 

 must be remarked, however, that we have much, very much, to 

 learn regarding the migrations of the White Wagtail on all 

 parts of the British and Irish coasts. 



There can be little doubt, from the accounts furnished to 

 us by Mr. Thomas Henderson, jun., that a pair of White 

 Wagtails bred this year (1900) at Spiggie. Strange to say, the 

 nest was placed in a boat used for visiting the neighbouring 



