88 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



of interest to naturalists, and touches upon questions bearing 

 on the economy and life-history of the species which are 

 worthy of elucidation. 



For the facts and information afforded I am indebted to 

 Mrs. Traill, an Edinburgh lady, who spent two of the summer 

 months on Foula, and is well known for the kindly and prac- 

 tical interest she manifests in all that concerns the remote 

 island and its inhabitants ; and to Mr. G. E. Paterson, of 

 New Kilpatrick. This indebtedness it now affords me much 

 pleasure to fully acknowledge. For the information relating 

 to the Unst Colony the excellent and satisfactory letter of 

 Mr. Thomas Edmondston which appeared in " The Times " of 

 ist August I 89 1 is quoted. 



FOULA. 



Mrs. Traill reports as follows : — 



Although we have not yet returned to the happy days when the 

 man who killed a Bonxie was fined sixteen shillings and eightpence, 

 there are indications that the kingly birds are not to be persecuted 

 as they have been, at all events not in Foula. 



About one hundred pairs arrived on the 27th of March, a full 

 week earlier than is usual, and all had come by the 3d of April. 

 Of the first-laying all the eggs were taken except six, and these 

 hatched in due course. About forty nests of the second laying were 

 noted. Of these one half contained a pair of eggs, and the other 

 half a single egg each. From these sixty birds were reared. There 

 was no third laying, or at any rate, no more birds were hatched. As 

 no steamer came to the island this year, the number of strangers who 

 landed was very small • and no skuas' eggs, so far as I could learn, 

 were sold on the island. A Scalloway man who would have bought 

 largely declined to give the price asked by the natives ; and a tourist 

 from Birmingham, who was inclined to be more liberal, was too late 

 in the season to get anything, but promised to return in good time 

 next year. A gentleman from Kent killed a full-grown Bonxie in 

 June. 1 I give you his name and address, as well as that of the 

 Birmingham visitor, for publication or otherwise. A pair of young 

 birds were taken from the nest, kept for eight weeks, and taken 

 alive in August to an eminent ornithologist in England. 



As a ground-officer has now been appointed, whose duty it is to 

 follow strangers wherever they go on the hills and to report those 

 natives who take eggs, it may be expected that each year the birds 

 will enjoy greater peace and safety and will multiply accordingly. 



1 This was done with the written permission of the proprietor, or his agents, 

 who ought to know that the law cannot be set aside by them. 



