6 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



also had the advantage of the companionship and co-operation 

 for a fortnight of Dr C. B. Ticehurst, and that Mr George 

 Stout accompanied me as assistant and taxidermist. 



In all, 104 species came under notice, but I only propose 

 here to deal with some of the more interesting and rare 

 species. Much useful information on the occurrence and 

 movements of the rest I have handed over to the Misses 

 Rintoul and Baxter, as a contribution to their Report on 

 Scottish Ornithology for the year 191 3. 



Grey Crow (Corvus cornix). Five birds a family party 

 were present throughout our visit. One of these was entirely black, 

 save a grey patch on the back. Only one pair of these birds breeds 

 on the island. 



Starling [Sturnus vulgaris). Starlings are common and 

 resident, and are mentioned here because they nest only in 

 rabbits' burrows ; nesting sites in the western range of cliffs are 

 available but are not resorted to. 



Little Bunting (Emberiza pusilld). A female appeared in 

 the lighthouse garden on 21st September. The only previous 

 Orcadian records are, one at the Pentland Skerries, 15th October 

 1903, and one at Sule Skerry on 22 nd September 1908. 



Scarlet Grosbeak (Carfiodacus erythrinus). The autumn of 

 19 1 3 witnessed the arrival of this species until recently regarded 

 as among the rarest of British birds in unusual abundance. When 

 Saunders wrote on this species in thu second edition of the Manual 

 in 1S98-1899, there were only three records of its occurrence in the 

 British Isles. Between the 31st August and 30th September no 

 less than nine visited this small Orcadian island two on 31st 

 August, one on 4th September, one on the 6th, two on the 14th, 

 one on the 15th, one on the 29th, and one on the 30th. All these 

 birds -were in either the greyish phase of plumage of the female, 

 or showed the decidedly yellow tinge of young males. They 

 frequented the lighthouse garden and the face of the cliffs. This 

 bird is new to the fauna of Orkney. 



Short-toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla). This bird is 

 new to the fauna of Orkney. A male was found in the garden on 

 the morning of 1st October; was very wild, and for some time 

 eluded attempts to prove its suspected identity. 



Pied Wagtail {Motacilla lugubris). This bird was observed 

 on passage as follows an adult male on 19th September, a female 

 on 3rd October, and throe examples on 6th October. The 



