6 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



one of the few remaining White-tailed Eagles. As its mate 

 had been shot a few weeks before, I will not assist in signing 

 its death warrant by revealing the locality. 



June 13 : I bicycled over to the Sands of Tong, where 

 a small colony of Arctic Terns were breeding, and I noticed 

 two Lesser Terns amongst them. On the shore were two 

 flocks of Sanderlings, one of fourteen birds and another of 

 six. One bird appeared to be in perfect winter plumage, 

 the silvery grey above and pure white below. Others seemed 

 almost, if not quite, in summer plumage, showing the reddish 

 chestnut round the neck, and at a little distance the backs 

 looked almost " Turnstone " colour. The remainder were in 

 intermediate plumage, showing less red on the neck and the 

 backs were greyer. The following day, I again saw the 

 Sanderlings, and three more Lesser Terns, also two Black- 

 throated Divers and Several Turnstones. 



June 15 : I went over to the Flannan Isles. Un- 

 fortunately thick fog came on just as we approached them, 

 and I could see nothing of the bird Hfe except in our im- 

 mediate vicinity. A great many Fulmars were flying about 

 near the Islands, also Gannets. The Gulls were mostly 

 Lesser Black-backed and Kittiwakes as far as I could see in 

 the fog. Puffins, Razorbills, and Guillemots swarmed. One 

 of the outlying rocks was covered with Shags. One Manx 

 Shearwater and one Fork-tailed Petrel passed us some way 

 out from the Islands. Two Eider drakes were sitting on a 

 ledge of rock. As there was a considerable swell, I was 

 unable to land by the steps, but climbed up a short perpen- 

 dicular iron ladder. There was a lot of rabbits on the 

 Island, which must have an uncomfortable time from the 

 Puffins. We took two of the Fork-tailed Petrels out of 

 their nesting-holes. They seemed very dazed and helpless 

 when first given their liberty. Meadow- and Rock-Pipits 

 were the only other birds noted under the very unfavourable 

 conditions. I returned to Loch Carloway for the night, 

 hoping that the weather might improve and enable me to 

 return to the Flannan Islands. I spent the afternoon on 

 Little Bernera, where I saw two Great Northern Divers, both 

 in immature plumage, also a Swift. Terns were abundant, 

 but I was unable to make sure of the species. I only saw 



