(Authors are responsible for nomenclature used.) 





The Scottish Naturalist 



No. 78.] 1918 [June. 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS ON THE BIRDS 

 OF NORTH UIST IN MAY 1883. 



By the late Alfred Chapman. 1 



In Gray's book on the Birds of the West of Scotland he 

 mentions North Uist frequently as the breeding station 

 of numerous fowl, some of which are rarely found breeding 

 in any other part of the United Kingdom. On 7th May 

 1883 I left Silksworth with the intention of going first 

 to West Loch Tarbert and then on to Lochmaddy in North 

 Uist. After a short stay at Loch Tarbert, I left Greenock 

 at 7 P.M. on Thursday, 10th May, steamed round the south 

 end of the Mull of Cantyre, thence northwards past Islay 

 and Iona to Oban. Leaving Oban we called at Coll and 

 Tiree, off which I saw a few Shearwaters gliding. They 

 have a most peculiar flight, seldom moving their wings, 

 dipping down into the troughs of the waves and rising 

 rapidly over the crests, occasionally darting up high in 

 the air, showing first their white under side and then their 

 dark brown upper side. They conveyed to me at once 

 the idea of Petrels, to which genus I think they undoubtedly 



1 By the kindness of Mr Abel Chapman we are enabled to publish 

 this very interesting diary ; it is given almost verbatim as it was 

 originally written, although it was not intended for publication. 

 78 Q 





