12 Mr. J. MacGillivray's Notes on the 



Bulimus acutus, shells very abundant among the sandy pas- 

 tures. 



The Red Grouse, Lagopus scotticus, is abundant ; and the 

 Ptarmigan, L. cinereus, occurs sparingly upon Ben Mhore 

 and Hecla in South Uist, and Ronaval in Harris, but more 

 plentifully upon the summits of the Forest Hills. A single 

 individual was seen in St. Kilda a few winters ago by the mi- 

 nister, who informed me of the circumstance, which seems al- 

 most incredible, the nearest land being fifty miles distant, 

 from which it looks a mere speck upon the ocean. Yet birds 

 apparently less capable of enduring continued flight, as the 

 Corncrake and Wheatear, annually visit St. Kilda. 



Charadrius Hiaticula, the Ringed Plover, is very plentiful, 

 as is also C. pluvialis, Golden Plover ; the latter congregates 

 into vast flocks about the end of July, which betake them- 

 selves to the shore at low water ; and I have seen the " ebb " 

 of Berneray, a curious reef of bare stones extending upwards 

 of a mile, in many places completely covered with their dense 

 masses. Vanillus cristatus, the Lapwing, is very abundant 

 in several of the islands, as Ensay, Killigray, and Toroway, as 

 well as the two Uists and Benbecula. The Oyster Catcher, 

 Hcematopus ostralegus, is plentifully distributed, breeding in 

 almost every maritime situation, as well as by the inland 

 lakes ; the nest varies considerably, according to the locality. 

 It is extremely probable that the Turnstone, Strepsilas colla- 

 ris, breeds in the Hebrides, at least occasionally ; for I have 

 seen it in pairs so late as the middle of June in the island of 

 Ensay, and shot it in the end of July and beginning of Au- 

 gust upon the reef of Berneray. Numenius arquata, the Cur- 

 lew, is common, but I did not find it breeding ; N. Phceopus, 

 the Whimbrel, was first seen on the 2nd of May, and had dis- 

 appeared by the end of the month, hence the vernacular name 

 of May-fowl. It is very plentiful, and usually met with in small 

 flocks of about twenty or so, and on its arrival is very tame, 

 but soon becomes more wary. It chiefly frequents the pas- 

 tures, but occasionally resorts to the shore at low water ; none 

 remain to breed, for I never heard of any being seen after the 

 end of May. Tringa variabilis, the Dunlin, is very common, 

 leaving the coast for the heaths in May, and returning in the 

 end of July along with the young of the year. The Sander- 

 ling, Calidris arenaria, I have observed so late as the middle 

 of May ; hence it may possibly breed in some part of the di- 

 strict. Totanus hypoleucos, Common Sandpiper, occurs by 

 the margins of most of the lakes, where it breeds. T. Calidris, 

 the Redshanks, was shot in Berneray in the end of May, and 

 found in pairs on the island of Toroway in June, and at Vail- 



