VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF SUTHERLAND AND CAITHNESS 167 



sent in the flesh to Mr. P. Henderson, Dundee. This was 

 the season these and the Iceland Gulls were so abundant in 

 the Firth of Forth. 



Stereorarius erepidatus, Banks. — Richardson's Skua. — Still only 

 one pair of these birds breeds in a locality in the east of 

 Sutherland. Their eggs have been taken on two occasions, 

 and one pair is in our possession. 



Proeellaria pelagiea, Z. — Storm Petrel. — "On the 20th June we 

 went to the . . . Islands. Upon the ridge of rocks on the 

 west side of Eilean . . . (separated by a great chasm from the 

 island) . . . my brother put his arm down a hole . . . and 

 drew out two Stormy Petrels ; there were no eggs. He showed 

 the birds to . . . who were delighted with them and had not 

 seen them before. Then we let the birds fly. I expect several 

 pairs breed upon this place." (C. Candler in letter to J. A. 

 Harvie-Brown, 22nd July 1891.) 



Puffinus anglorum, Temm. — Manx Shearwater. — In the old 

 Statistical Account for Caithness published in 1794, Vol. 2, p. 

 249, it is remarked that: — "Shearwaters are reported to be 

 found at Dunnet Head." It has not yet been ascertained 

 whether they breed there or not, but we have seen numbers 

 flying about in the evening when coming in to Scrabster from 

 Orkney, and passing Dunnet Head. 



Alea torda, L. — Razorbill. - — Lorn via troile, L. — Guillemot. — 

 Under date of 22nd July 1891, Mr. Candler writes as follows : — 

 " Some few years ago a smack came from Stornoway and landed 

 a party upon Handa. They brought with them an immense 

 length of rope. They secured this rope on the headland on 

 one side of the Stack, walked along the brow of the cliff paying 

 out the rope as they went, until they reached the projecting 

 headland on the other side of the stack. Then they hauled 

 the rope taut, and so brought it across the summit of the stack. 

 They took from this rock every egg they could reach, and by 

 means of nooses on the ends of poles they snared and killed 

 1500 Guillemots and Razorbills. Since this date the Great 

 Black-backed Gulls have entirely forsaken the Stack and 

 indeed the whole island." 



Uria grylle, L. — Black Guillemot. — Mr. Candler in the letter 



just ([tinted remarks that the Black Guillemot lias entirely 

 disappeared from Handa. In another locality, on one of the 

 Badcall Islands, he found about forty pairs. 



Colymbus septentrionalis, L. — Red -throated Diver. — Mr. 

 Candler informs us that a pair of these birds bred this year, 

 1 89 1, in 1 landa. 



