Recently published Ornithological Works. 115 



Among the shorter notices we find the first account of the 

 occurrence of the Great Spotted Woodpecker in the Outer 

 Hebrides. Mr. Harvie-Brown contributes some interesting 

 items upon the southward march of the Eider Ducks along the 

 west coast of Sutherland, as well as some valuable details of 

 the phenomenal number of Woodcocks and Snipes which 

 nested in Central Scotland during the remarkably cold spring 

 of 1902. We gather from the writer's remarks that many 

 layings were unproductive, and that there was a large per- 

 centage of deaths among the young birds ; also that similar 

 unfortunate results mai'ked the cold summer of 1904. Further 

 notes on the subject are to be found at p. 245 in the October 

 number. In this Mr. W. Eagle Clarke records the occurrence 

 of a Short-toed Lark on September 20th at the Flanuan 

 Islands, during his recent visit there with Mr. T. G. Laidlaw — 

 this being the very first record for Scotland of this inhabitant 

 of Central and Southern Europe. A large number of Lap- 

 land Buntings were also noticed from September 6th to 21st 

 at this new observation-station, and we may expect details of 

 other interesting species. At p. 223 we are told how the 

 Rev. Albert Ernest Sorby, of Darfield Rectory, Yorkshire, was 

 charged and fined (in contumaciam) at Lerwick for having 

 taken eggs of the Great Skua and the Sea-Eagle in Shetland, 

 and we are happy to add that the spoils Avere forfeited. On 

 turning to p. 245, it appears that the Eagle which laid the 

 confiscated egg was an " albino " or probably a whitish 

 individual — at any rate, the successor to a female which was 

 shot and stuffed in 1903. At the time of writing, says 

 Mr. J. S. Tulloch, " every inducement is offered in the way 

 of money for the ' albino ' dead." Lastly, we must notice 

 Mr. W. P. Py craft's interesting discovery in the University 

 Museum, Aberdeen, of an overlooked and wrongly identified 

 example of the American Killdeer Plover, labelled as having 

 been shot at Peterhead in 1867 by Mr. Andrew Murray, who 

 presented many shore-birds to the Museum. This bird is not, 

 however, entitled to the honour that Mr. Pycraft claims for 

 it as being the first " British " specimen, for the Hampshire 

 bird was obtained in 1859, and although its pedigree was 



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