108 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



distinctly fewer Rock-pipits nesting on the island than in 

 191 2, but there were five instead of two Tree-sparrows and 

 more Eider, Razorbills, Guillemots, Puffins, and Herring- 

 gulls than last year. 



When we returned to the May on 12th September there 

 were a few birds on the island, the most interesting being 

 a Lesser Whitethroat. From this time till the 30th 

 September a large proportion of the days were characterised 

 by light southerly and easterly winds, and there were 

 constant small movements. Although a good list of birds 

 was compiled, there was never any very large number of 

 one species, the most notable birds recorded during the 

 period being a Golden Oriole on the 13th and 14th 

 September (first for the Isle of May), Red^spotted Bluethroats 

 on the 14th and 26th, a Scarlet Grosbeak on 20th and 

 21st September, a Lapland Bunting on the 24th, a Yellow- 

 browed Warbler and a Turtle-dove on the 25th, and on 

 the 27th a Melodious Warbler, an addition to the Scottish 

 avifauna {Scot. Nat., 191 3, p. 273). On the 22nd a party of 

 eight Velvet Scoter were seen, these being new to the 

 island list, and on the 29th a flock of forty to fifty Siskins 

 besides some smaller detachments, arrived. There were 

 the usual September movements of Lesser Whitethroats, 

 Greater Wheatears, Pied Flycatchers, continental Robins 

 and Goldcrests and smaller numbers of many other species, 

 of which details will be given in the Report on Scottish 

 Ornithology for 1913. On the night of the 29th - 30th 

 there were two Starlings, three Skylarks, two Goldcrests 

 (continental), a Whitethroat, two Redwings, a Thrush, and 

 eight Wheatears at the lantern. One of the Wheatears 

 was still in moult, the tail feathers being only half the full 

 length and one of the old feathers still remaining. Golden 

 Plover were calling at the light, and Terns were circling 

 above the rays. The 30th was the best day of our visit ; 

 the arrivals comprised Chaffinches, Bramblings, a good 

 many Skylarks, of which we saw several small flocks coming 

 in from the south-east ; crowds of Goldcrests had come in, 

 the great majority being continental immigrants, two 

 Chiffchaffs, one at least being Ph. c. abietina } a Willow- 



