152 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



many another rare visitor, to our shores. The only time 

 that any great influx of birds from the Continent took 

 place this autumn, was during the spell of east wind that 

 prevailed from 19th October to 6th November, and it will 

 be observed that this is correlated with the appearance of 

 the great majority of the uncommon visitors noted this 

 autumn. Unfortunately, owing to the war, data are not 

 available to show how far east these conditions prevailed ; 

 but, judging from the birds that appeared at that period, 

 we expect to find that it stretched a considerable distance 

 over the Palasarctic region. In spring, the same phenomenon 

 is forcibly brought to our notice. After a May, during which 

 the weather conditions were mostly westerly and the un- 

 common visitors few and far between, we get a spell of north- 

 easterly and easterly weather in June and, in consequence, 

 a pronounced arrival of birds from overseas, including a 

 large proportion of interesting and uncommon species. 



To come to the detailed records, the second Scottish 

 Serin {Serinjis cmiarius serinus) is reported from Fair Isle, 

 a female appearing there on 22nd May (i. 1915, 102); this 

 is a first record for Shetland, the only other bird of this 

 species taken in Scotland being one in Midlothian on 9th 

 November 1911 (i. 191 2, ii). A pair of Northern Bullfinches 

 {Pyrrhula pyrrhula pyrrhuld) is reported from Fair Isle on 

 27th February, and a female at the same station next 

 day (i. 191 5, 102); while Bullfinches, in all probability of 

 this form, are recorded from North Unst shore station on 

 27th and 28th October (W. Crowe and C. M'Eachern), and 

 Lerwick on 8th November (J. S. Tulloch). A Crossbill at 

 the Flannans on 6th August (J. M'Lean and F. W. Collie) 

 doubtless was the typical Loxia cui-virostra curvirostra, 

 while in May, Ortolans {Emberisa hoi'tuland) are recorded 

 from Pentland Skerries and Fair Isle on the 8th and 9th 

 (i. 1914, 173, and I. 1915, 103), and from the latter station 

 on the iith and 12th. Lapland Buntings {Ca/carius lap- 

 ponicus lapponicus) occurred fairly frequently on Fair Isle 

 between the 14th and 29th September, and one is noted 

 near the Butt of Lewis on 27th September (\V. Eagle 

 Clarke). Single Shore-larks {Ereinophila alpestris flava) are 



