102 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



should encourage the further unravelling, through the means 

 of careful and scrupulously detailed zoning, of the history 

 hidden in Scottish caves. 



Wood-warbler and Little Stint in the Outer Hebrides. 



On 26th and 27th August 191 7 a Wood-warbler {Phylloscopus sibi- 

 latrix sibilatrix) was seen near Loch Druidibeg, South Uist, while two 

 Little Stints {Tringa minuta minutd) were shot on 14th September 

 on an oozy creek on the N.W. shore of South Uist, two others 

 being seen at the same time. The Wood-warbler is believed to 

 have been seen once before in the Outer Hebrides, while there 

 is only one previous occurrence of the Little Stint, i.e., at the 

 Butt of Lewis in 19 14. H. Holmes, Ravenstone Castle, Whithorn. 



Swans on Possil Marsh. On the 10th March I was delighted 

 to find six Whoopers (C. musicus) on this sheet of water situated 

 so near Glasgow, and I am given to understand that this has been 

 their first recognised visit. On returning to the district next 

 evening for a further examination of the birds, I was more than 

 surprised to find along with the six were five Bewick's Swans 

 (C. bewicki). These latter remained on the marsh for five days, 

 being last seen on the evening of the 15th. On the nth I was 

 witness of a fight between the Whoopers and a pair of local Mute 

 Swans (C. olor) that endeavoured to bar the passage of the former 

 to a particular part: and much to my joy the "distinguished 

 strangers" were more than a match for the Mutes, whose jealous, 

 not to say imperious, ways I know too well. The visitors were 

 determined not to be baulked in reaching the coveted feeding- 

 ground, and led by two adults, the juveniles bringing up the rear, 

 they advanced slowly in zigzag fashion towards their objective. 

 When nearing their opponents, the two leading Whoopers extended 

 their wings straight out horizontally, and not at all like the arched 

 way of the Mute Swans. The fight lasted for about seven seconds 

 or so, and with the great amount of splashing and commotion in 

 which the four birds were inextricably mixed up, it was difficult to 

 determine clearly what was taking place ; but the result was clear 

 enough, viz., that the local pair were compelled to retire, and the 

 Whoopers are now never molested. I noticed that while the 

 Bewick's Swans and Whoopers often fed alongside, when retiring 

 to preen, or to change feeding-grounds, both species kept distinct. 

 D. Macdonald, Glasgow. 



