NOTES a$9 



NOTES. 



The Hedgehog in Arran. — Whilst reading the accounts given 

 in the September and October numbers of the Scottish Naturalist 

 of the rarity of the Hedgehog in Argyllshire, I thought it might 

 prove interesting to mention an occurrence which shows the rarity 

 of this animal in the island of Arran. I was sitting one evening 

 in front of the house, when a workman approached and showed 

 me a fairly large specimen of the common Hedgehog. On asking 

 him, I found that it had been discovered on the west side of the 

 island, at Shiskine; and was such a rare find that many of the 

 men, including the one who unearthed it, did not know what it 

 was. Several elderly people came to me that evening to see the 

 animal, not having seen one before. It afforded an object of great 

 interest to the school children next day. I found out later from an 

 old man that the Hedgehog has been seen once or twice before — 

 always in the same district, although most of the people here 

 believed them to be non-existent in Arran. — William 1). Concalton, 

 Brodick. 



Bird Notes from the Solway. — A specimen of the Green 

 Sandpiper, Totanus ocrophus, was obtained at Skinburness on 

 30th August. This year appears to have been a remarkable one 

 for this species, judging by the number of records from various 

 Scottish districts. Mr Nichol, to whom I am indebted for these 

 notes, informs me that he saw a Spotted Redshank, Totanus fuscus, 

 near his house at Skinburness recently. A Peregrine attempted to 

 capture it, but did not succeed. One Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa 

 belgica, was seen, the only one to come under his observation this 

 autumn. Commenting on the early arrival of "Geese" in the 

 Solway, he states that, in all his experience he has never known 

 these birds to arrive so early as they did this year — quite a fortnight 

 before their usual time. — Hugh Mackav, Edinburgh. 



Female Greenland Wheatear assuming Male Plumage. — 



With reference to the Duchess of Bedford's interesting note on this 

 subject in the September number of the Scottish Naturalist, we 

 think it worth recording that we have a similar specimen. This 

 female Greenland Wheatear was killed at the lantern of the Isle 



