18 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



several times nearly whistled them over with the plover call in 

 Shetland, and successfully practised the dodge elsewhere. 



Cormorant {Phalacrocorax carbd). — A pair regularly frequent Loch 

 Spiggie, and visit Loch Hillwell and fly across thence by the 

 " cuts " and Quendale to Quendale Bay. Common at the 

 Holms in Quendale Bay, but not to compare in numbers with 

 the smaller species or Shag. 



Shag {Phalacrocorax graculus). — Very abundant, sitting in great 

 colonies upon the rocks all round Garthness, the Quendale 

 Holms, and indeed everywhere prominent in the sea-scape — as 

 many as 300 or 400 together. 



Common Heron (Ardea cinerea). — Visits the district in autumn. 

 In 1 89 1, five or six were observed early in October along the 

 side of Loch Brow, and in the marshy meadows (marked in 

 the 6" scale O. S. Map as "subject to flooding"). These 

 shortly disappeared, and only one or two were seen afterwards. 

 In 1892, the first observed was on 1st September, when 

 Captain Macfarlane saw two. Afterwards seen frequently at 

 Loch Brow ; and also on Mousa Island, on 20th October, six 

 or seven were seen together. 



Greylag Goose (Anser cinereus). — In 189 1, one solitary bird was 

 seen, and put up at a distance of perhaps a hundred yards, by 

 the side of Loch Spiggie, on 26th October. Mr. Youngclause 

 also reported {in lit.) "Greylag Geese" flying S.W. at Sumburgh 

 Lighthouse on the same date. In 1892, curiously enough, again 

 a solitary bird was seen at the same loch side on 10th October. 

 It rose and "gabbled " as it flew, showing the alar patches very 

 distinctly. 



Bernicle Goose (Berm'cla leucopsis). — Saxby says in July 1854 he 

 saw one of this species — making sure of it — and added: "No 

 other authentic record of its occurrence in Shetland has come 

 to my knowledge ; " and Howard Saunders, building upon this, 

 says : " To the Shetlands and Faroes, this species is only a 

 rare straggler." On 9th October one which we examined had 

 been shot, out of a flock of seven, among Quendale sandhills, 

 by the Quendale grieve's son, who did not know the bird. 

 On 15 th October, I saw three, and these were seen going about 

 the sides of Loch Spiggie for some time. The Bernicle Goose 

 is quite common here — Dunrossness — on migration in both 

 spring and autumn, but does not remain, we are assured, in 

 winter, as it does in the Hebrides. Thirty-eight were frequent- 

 ing Spiggie Shore on the 21st October 1891 and many more 

 were seen. In 1892, quite a big lot were reported to us close 

 to Backasetter on 6th October, but we saw none till 9th October, 

 w 7 hen a flock of seven passed south near Quendale House — wind 



