192 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



The Greenshank. The Greenshank is very rare in 

 South Uist, and I never saw its nest there although I was 

 told it bred in the islands. 



The Curlew. I never saw anything approaching the 

 huge flocks of Curlew which arrived in the Hebrides by the 

 end of July and stayed till April ; it can only be described as 

 a winter visitor as I never saw or heard of its nest. Owinfj 

 to the Curlew feeding so much among the sea-weed its flesh 

 is very rank and fishy, and no bird got so hard up during 

 frost, even worse than the Snipe or Woodcock. 



The Whimbrel. Is only a visitor to the outer islands, 

 arriving in late April and May ; it was called by the natives 

 "may fowl," and in the old days was looked on as a great 

 asset by native sportsmen. They were quite tame on 

 arriving and only stayed for a few weeks. I never saw their 

 nest. 



The Golden Plover. The Golden Plover was very 

 numerous in South Uist, but very few stayed to nest which 

 was strange as the nesting grounds seemed ideal. Many 

 migrants arrived in September, and one day, early in 

 October, I was fishing on a long narrow loch running east 

 and west, and the numbers of Golden Plover which passed 

 me that day were beyond anything I have ever seen. They 

 crossed the loch about the middle, coming from the north- 

 east and going ofl" due south, in lots of a score or more, all 

 day without ceasing. Next day none were to be seen. 



The Lapwing. This well-known bird is a thorough 

 native of the Hebrides, staying all the year round and 

 nesting in thousands. They are much tamer than in other 

 places as they are rarely if ever molested. 



The Ovstercatcher. A numerous resident ever}-- 

 where in the Hebrides. 



(Z(? be continued.) 



