8 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



island of Colsay. Although this craft made several journeys to 

 that island during the period of incubation, yet a brood of five 

 was hatched, four of which the birds successfully reared. Mr. 

 Henderson had many opportunities of seeing the birds at close 

 quarters and naturally took considerable interest in them, and 

 he assures us that they were not of the Pied species, but Wag- 

 tails similar to the specimens of Motadlla alba which we 

 showed him in the flesh, and obtained by us to place their 

 identification beyond dispute. 



We did not observe a single example of the Pied Wagtail 

 (Afotadlla lugubris) during our visit. 



LINNET, Linota cannabina. We observed small parties of Linnets 

 on several occasions in the neighbourhood of Scousburgh. 



There are only, as yet, a few records for this species in 

 Shetland, and its precise status in the islands remains to be 

 determined. 



TREE SPARROW, Passer montanus.A. party of five Tree Sparrows 

 were seen on some cultivated land at the base of the Scatness 

 promontory the south-western limit of Shetland on the iSth. 

 The only previous record for this species in the islands 

 refers to two pairs seen in Unst in June 1898, and which were 

 thought to be nesting ("Fauna of Shetland," p. 87). 



RAVEN, Corvus corax. As an illustration of the abundance of the 

 Raven in Southern Shetland, we may mention the fact that we 

 saw twenty-five together on the hill above the west side of 

 Channerwick Voe on the i6th. 



PINTAIL, Dafila acuta. A female was observed feeding close to 

 edge of the rocks at the mouth of the Pool of Virkie on the 

 1 7th. It was remarkably unsuspicious, and permitted a close 

 approach to be made to it before taking wing. 



It is a somewhat remarkable fact that this species does not 

 appear to have hitherto been observed in the islands during 

 the autumn. Saxby mentions its visits in small numbers to 

 Unst in the spring, and remarks that so far as he has been able 

 to learn, the bird is never seen in Shetland in autumn or 

 winter. It has also been observed, on more than one occasion, 

 on Loch Spiggie in the spring. 



TEAL, Nettion crecca. As the information regarding the occurrence 

 of the Teal in the autumn and winter is considered to be both 

 meagre and unsatisfactory ("Fauna of Shetland," p. 135), it 

 may be useful to remark that we found the bird present in small 

 numbers on all the freshwater lochs and pools, whose margins 

 afforded suitable cover, throughout our stay. 



WIGEON, Mareca penelope. Seven Wigeon were observed by us on 

 Loch Spiggie on the day of our arrival, the 9th, but their 



