54 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



have shot it there and taken the young from the nest. W. J." In 

 an editorial note in the edition of Wilson's American Ornithology 

 dated 1876, vol. iii., p. 123, he writes [in 1832 that is; see Postscript], 

 " A few pairs breed annually on the rocky islands on the Firth of 

 Forth. I have repeatedly found them on the Isle of May " 



Green-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax cristatus 1 (p. 241). 

 "On the Bass Rock and the Isle of May, where only a few pairs 

 resort, they select the deep caves." We have here confirmation of 

 the 'opinion expressed above that, as is still the case, it was the 

 Shag, not the true Cormorant that nested on the May in the early 

 decades of last century. 



Sandwich Tern, Sterna cantiaca (p. 273). A reference to the 

 colony at the Fame Islands is followed by the remark that, "further 

 into the Firth, we have it breeding on the Isle of May and some 

 lesser rocks off North Berwick." 



Roseate Tern, Sterna Dougallii (p. 276). "The Roseate Tern 

 breeds also on the Isle of May in considerable abundance, where 

 our specimens were obtained." On same page, "Specimens of this 

 graceful species, shot on the Isle of May, Firth of Forth, during the 

 breeding season," are described. 



Common Tern, Sterna hirundo (p. 277). The words here are, 

 "a few breeding on the Isle of May." On page 278, a specimen 

 "procured" there "during the breeding season," is described, and 

 contrasted with the preceding. 



Arctic Tern, Sterna arctica (p. 279). "On the Isle of May it 

 is also plentiful, but breeds in a situation nearly similar to the 

 roseate." (The allusion here is to the colonies at the Fames.) 



Jardine gives no hint that I can see as to the dates of his 

 visits to the island, but fortunately I am able, from another 

 source, to fix the date in at least one instance. From a 

 memorandum made on 7th November 1884, I find that on 

 that day I examined, at the Edinburgh Museum, an Arctic 

 Tern from the Jardine collection, labelled, female, Isle of 

 May, 13 July 1825. A similar jotting made five years later 

 goes to show that another Arctic Tern dated 1829, and a 

 Common Tern dated 13th July 1825, both likewise from the 

 May and forming part of the same collection, came under my 

 notice ; also a Black Guillemot, marked Isle of May, " shot 

 breeding," in Jardine's writing. If the last-mentioned speci- 



1 The Shag, P. graculus, in modern nomenclature. 



