ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 49 



ZOOLOGICAL NOTES. 



Rare Birds at Fair Isle. — Since my note in the last number 

 of " The Annals," the following uncommon birds have occurred at 

 Fair Isle, concerning which full particulars will be given in our next 

 number: — Short- toed Lark [Cala?idrelia brachydacty/d) ; a small 

 flock of Little Buntings (Emberiza pusilld) ; several Yellow -browed 

 Warblers {Fhylloscopus superciliosus), Bluethroats {Cyanecula suecicd), 

 and Wood Larks {Alauda arbored)\ and a Black Redstart {Ruticilla 

 titys). — Wm. Eagle Clarke. 



Rose-eoloured Starling in Argyllshire. — A fine male Pastor 

 roseus was found dead by Mr. Baird, of Bonawe, during the early 

 days of autumn. — "Oban Times," 31st August 1907. 



Male Reed- Bunting Incubating. — It may be worth recording 

 that on 25th May 1907, when passing through some tussocky grass 

 near the margin of Loch Eldrig, Wigtownshire, I flushed a male 

 Reed-Bunting i^Emberiza schoeniaihis) from a nest containing five 

 eggs. It then went through the time-honoured pantomime of feign- 

 ing cripple, which I do not remember to have seen performed by 

 the male bird of any species, unless it were a nightjar, the sex of 

 which I could not distinguish. — Herbert Maxwell, Monreith. 



Marsh Titmouse in Aberdeenshire. — There were one or two 

 Marsh Titmice {Farus pahcstris\ together with a good many Coal 

 Tits, on some spruce firs beside the river Don, near Alford, on 21st 

 August, and on the same day it was noticed that a good many 

 Willow Warblers and Spotted Flycatchers were on the move. — 

 J. H. GuRNEY, Keswick, Norfolk. 



[A similar account of a single bird near Newburgh, in the 

 extreme east of the county of Aberdeen, is given by Sim in his 

 "Fauna of Dee" (p. 85); and likewise one seen by Geo. 

 Sim, of Gourdas, on 2iid February 1896 {loc. cit.). A. G. More 

 included it as an Aberdeenshire bird, and is quoted by R. Gray 

 ('"Birds of the W. of Scotland," p. 106). But proof of it nesting 

 anywhere east of the watershed of Dee is still required. — J. A. H.-B.] 



Red-breasted Flycatcher at the Bell Rock Lighthouse. — 



Writing from the Bell Rock, Mr. Robert Clyne tells me that on the 

 25th October a small bird came to the lantern, along with a few 

 Blackbirds and Thrushes. From the front view he had of it through 

 the glass, it resembled a Willow Warbler ; but there were no super- 

 ciliary markings, and the greenish brown plumage was a little lighter 

 in colour round the eye. On going outside to try and catch it for 

 examination, the bird escaped, leaving half its tail feathers in his 

 hand. These he fortunately preserved and sent to me. If Mr. 

 Clyne was only destined to secure a few of the stranger's plumes, 

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