6 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



based almost entirely upon Saxby's " Birds of Shetland,"- 

 a work which is the result of long years of residence and 

 hence of extreme value, but this only affords data relating 

 to the island of Unst. The other contributions are few, and 

 with the exception of Harvie Brown's " Notes from Dun- 

 rossness," made in the autumns of 1891 and 1892, and 

 published in this magazine ("Annals," 1893, PP- 9- 2 5)> an d 

 the observations made at the lighthouses during the years 

 of the inquiry on the migration of birds instituted by the 

 British Association, consist of odd items, among which those 

 communicated by Mrs. Traill and her son for Foula, and 

 others by Mr. Thomas Henderson, jun., of Scousburgh, are 

 particularly useful. 



Fortunately all these records, indeed we may say all that 

 is known relating to the avifauna of the islands, have been 

 gathered together with a completeness that is remarkable by 

 Messrs. A. H. Evans and Buckley, and form an important 

 section of their volume on " The Vertebrate Fauna of the 

 Shetland Islands," published in 1899. 



Our observations were made between the 9th and 24th 

 of September last in the southern portion of the main island 

 and of the parish of Dunrossness. 



A few words may be devoted to this district as one 

 suitable for witnessing migratory movements. 



Situated as it is at the south extremity of the group, 

 many birds which have struck the islands further north find 

 their way here and congregate before departure, which is an 

 important advantage to the observer ; while for migratory 

 waders it possesses an attraction which is not to be found 

 commonly in the islands, namely, a shallow bay, known as 

 the Pool of Virkie, where, when the tide is out, a considerable 

 extent of somewhat muddy sand is exposed. Thus it afforded 

 an attractive feeding ground for Limicolae, and it was here 

 that we observed practically all the wading birds that came 

 under our notice. 



In the following detailed account of the species observed, 

 it will be noted that there is an almost entire absence of 

 information relating to the migratory Passeres. The White 

 Wagtail was indeed the only species actually observed on 

 passage. Wheatears were abundant, but we did not notice 



