204 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



Balgray on 21st and 29th August and 12th September (r. 1915, 

 357); noted at Pentland Skerries up to 8th October, Whalsay 

 Skerries to 17th October, Lerwick to ist November, and Swona to 

 nth November. Numbers appeared at Little Ross on 17th 

 November, snow lying thickly on the mainland. 



The Golden Plover, Charadrius apricarius. — On 7th January 

 numbers of Golden Plover were at the Little Ross lantern at 11 p.m., 

 and single birds at Fair Isle on nth, r2th, and iSth January. 

 During February there are many notes of arrivals at inland breeding 

 places, and during this month and up to loth March there are many 

 records of large arrivals from our southern stations and lanterns, 

 and notes also of arrival in our Northern Isles : these probably all 

 referring to the return of our breeding birds. From 24th March to 

 22 nd May there are many records of movement from stations in the 

 Outer Hebrides and Northern Isles, the only notes from Southern 

 Scotland during this period being from the Little Ross lantern 

 on nth April and 20th May, and a flock of twenty-one near 

 Mochrum (Wigtownshire) on 4th May. It would seem probable 

 that most, if not all of these, were passage migrants on their way to 

 breed overseas. Galson (O.H.) reports flocks of Golden Plover 

 throughout the year. 



Returns to the shores after breeding are recorded from 9th July 

 to 17th August, and throughout September and October a good deal 

 of movement is reported from stations in Orkney and Shetland. 

 Several were at the Little Ross lantern at 9.30 p.m. on 14th 

 September, one was killed at the Rhinns of Islay lantern at 

 9 P.M. on 1 8th September, and one at the Little Ross lantern on 

 loth October at 9 p.m. Thirty-seven were seen at Swona on 15th 

 November, and one at Pentland Skerries next day. A strong 

 weather movement caused by frost is recorded from the Beauly 

 Firth on 20th November, and from the Little Ross and Killantringan 

 lanterns from 17th November to 6th December, "thousands" were 

 seen in the rays, and many killed. These birds were probably on 

 their way to the milder shores of Ireland. 



The Grey Plover, Squatarola squatarola. — Six Grey Plover 

 are recorded from the Dornoch Firth on 7th and 21st January, and 

 again on 13th April, and one from Largo Bay on 29th March. The 

 first autumn record is from Galson (O.H.) on nth and 12th 

 September, two at Fairlie (Ayr) on 13th, and eight there on 15th 

 September. Quite an arrival took place between 24th and 30th 

 September, small parties are noted from the Cromarty Firth, 



