64 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



year, which was shot on the 15th September last, near Aberdeen, 

 by Mr Alexander Mitchell, and referred to that state of plumage 

 as one which had been but imperfectly described by Yarrell and 

 other writers. Another specimen was obtained by Mr Mitchell 

 three days afterwards at the same place; and these two birds had 

 probably belonged to a migratory flock from more northern 

 latitudes. 



Mr John A. Harvie Brown exhibited two specimens (females 

 in breeding plumage) of the Purple Sandpiper (Tringa maritima), 

 which were shot on 27th May last on the island of Mingulay, 

 Outer Hebrides, by Captain H. W. Feilden. These birds had 

 apparently been nesting in the district, as both showed abrasion 

 of the under parts of the plumage, indicating that they had been 

 sitting on eggs. Captain Feilden saw other specimens of tliis 

 Sandpiper at the same place, and in Barra, and was inclined to 

 think that small numbers bred in that part of the Long Island. 



PAPERS READ. 



• I. — Notes on the Shell Mounds of the Outer Hebrides. 



By Mr Egbert Gray. 



The writer, who had visited these mounds in August, 1870, 

 drew the attention of the meeting to several passages in a curious 

 work published about 200 years ago, entitled " A Description of 

 the Western Islands of Scotland," by M. Martin, which appeared 

 to throw some light on the history of many of the objects that 

 have been discovered in these mounds. At a previous meeting 

 of the Society a paper on the subject had been read by Captain 

 Feilden, who stated that he had found in one of the heaps a bone 

 spoon, ornamented with carved work, and also bone needles and 

 other objects, such as have hitherto had a considerable antiquity, 

 if not pre-historic age, assigned to them. It was, however, a 

 curious circumstance, to say the least of it, that Martin mentions 

 in his account of the inhabitants of the Outer Hebrides in his day, 

 that " some of the natives are very dexterous 'in engraving trees, 

 birds, deer, dogs, etc., upon bone and horn, or wood, without 

 any other tool than a sharp-pointed knife." Again, in speaking 

 of their dress, he says, — " When they [the men] travel on foot, 

 the i:)lad is tied on the breast with a bodkin of bone," etc. ; and, 

 in alluding to the dress of the women, he states that " the ^;/ac? 



