22 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL IILSTORV 



occasion we saw one dive. It had hunted a young Kittiwake 

 till the latter had (irojjiied a fish that it was carrying; this fell 

 into the sea about 20 to 30 yards from the rocks where we 

 were sitting. The Skua lit on the water near his booty, pecked 

 at it once or twice in a half-hearted manner, and then took no 

 notice of it for a minute, during which time it sank. The Skua 

 looked here and there for it, then slightly opening its wings, 

 dived right under the water very neatly, stayed under for a 

 moment, and then reappeared minus the fish. This all took 

 place quite close to the rocks on a perfectly calm day, and we 

 got a most excellent view of it through our glasses. 



S roR:\i Petrel, Procellaria pe/as^ica. — One got at the lantern on the 

 14th October by Mr. Maccuish and sent to us. 



JManx Shearwater, Piiffiuus anglo7'um. — One seen flying near the 

 island on the i8th and 24th September. 



Razorbill, Alca forda. — Seen pretty frequently from 1 ith September 

 to 3rd October. 



Guillemot, Uria troile. — Seen on several occasions in the sea off 

 the island. 



COLINSBURGH, FiFE. 



SOME BIRD NOTES FROM THE OUTER 

 HEBRIDES DURING A MONTH SPENT 

 THERE, MAY-JUNE 1907. 



By P. H. Bahr, B.A., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 



Plate IL 



[Continued fro/n p. 215, JVo. 64.) 



Oyster Catcher, HcBniatopus ostralegus, Linn. — In spite of the 

 brave show they make in defence of their nests, few if any 

 seem to be able to rear their young. All the nests we found 

 came to grief, as their eggs come next to those of the Ringed 

 Plover in order of precedence in the Gull's menu. On the 

 rocky islands, where their nests are obvious, the birds adopt 

 tactics similar to that of the Common Sandpiper, and by 

 shuffling and shamming lameness endeavour to lure the intruder 

 away. On the foreshore and the " machair," on the other 

 hand, they are not nearly so noisy, and when the vicinity of 

 their nest is approached slink off to some pool and quite un- 

 obtrusively pretend to feed. Though commonly an extremely 

 wary bird at the nest, yet one in particular proved the very 

 easiest prey to the camera. I had no difficulty with her at 



