4j22 ^ggs atid Birds found 



the Lough Diver, The nest contained eleven eggs, rather 

 larger than those of the teal, but very similar as to shape and 

 colour. The nest was made of moss, and lined with feathers 

 and down, and placed amid the long grass. I wish we had 

 been fortunate enough to secure her, which would have 

 cleared up all doubts. 



The Eider Duck { A^nas molUssima L., Somateria inolUssima 

 Fleming). — We found specimens of this species breeding upon 

 a small holm, near Papa Westra, among the loose rocks : 

 they made no effort to get away, suffering us to approach 

 within a few yards before they offered to leave their nests ; 

 and in one instance I took one from off her eggs. They lay 

 from four to five eggs, which are very smooth, of a pale olive 

 colour, and very pointed at the smaller end. The nest is 

 lined with down, but not in such abundance as we were led 

 to expect. The individuals of this species are not very nu- 

 merous ; and are known by the name of the dunte goose. 



The Sheldrake {A>nas Tadorna Gmelin, Tadorna Vulpdnser 

 Ray) is tolerably numerous ; and breeds in the rabbit holes 

 in the Island of Sanda. The provincial name is the sly goose. 



The Cormorant ( Felecdnus Cdrbo L., Cdrbo Cormordnus Meyer) 

 and Shag (P. Grdadus L., Vhalacrocorax Grdculus Cuvier) we 

 found very numerous, building their nests, which are princi- 

 pally composed of withered sea-weed and sticks, upon the pro- 

 jecting shelves of the rocks that overhang the sea. These 

 contain from three to four eggs, of a bluish white, irregularly 

 coated with a thick chalky substance. The eggs of the cor- 

 morant are a trifle larger than those of the shag; with this 

 exception we could not perceive any difference. Both of them 

 are much smaller than those of the domestic hen in circum- 

 ference, but of the same length, or rather longer. 



LAND BIRDS. 

 We did not notice any great variety of land birds. The 

 f following are those that came under our immediate observ- 

 ation: — 

 ,; The Golden Eagle (Fdlco Chrysdetos L., K!qnila Chrysdetos 

 f Vigors) and Sea Eagle {Fdlco Ossifragus L., Halide^elus Albi- 

 ctlla Savigny) are the only eagles that we saw. Both of them 

 have their eyries in the Islands of Hoy and Eday. We were 

 too late to obtain their eggs. Both of them lay from two to 

 three ; and these scarcely exhibit any difference as to size : 

 they being not quite so large as those of the goose, but much 

 rounder. This information we had from a man who has 

 taken their nests for several years ; and he said that he never 

 knew them to lay a second time, should their eggs be taken 



