84 BUITISII lilKDS [vol. vi. 



results obtained by Mr. Clarke in his annual visits more than 

 bore out his expectations, and so much valuable information 

 was acquired that he has been induced to establish a watcher 

 there who keeps a daily record of migrants. The combined 

 results of all observers have established, besides a host of 

 interesting facts concerning migration, the occurrence in 

 this small island of nearly one-half of the birds that have 

 ever been known to occur in the British Isles ! 



After giving a general description and history of the island, 

 he goes on to tell us of the habits of the migrants under strange 

 conditions, the difficulties of the observer, and other interesting 

 incidents. Following this he takes us round a year's bird- 

 observing in diary form, and finally he gives a complete 

 list and data of every bird which has been known to 

 occur in this remote spot. While the breeding birds only 

 number twenty-eight (and ten of these are summer visitors) 

 no less than one hundred and sixty-five species have been 

 observed as migrants, regular or casual ; five species 

 have been added to the British List from this island, and 

 innumerable rarities have been detected. IMost of these 

 have been recorded from time to time in the Scottish 

 Naturalist, but we note that here, previously unrecorded, 

 appear the following rarities — Coues's Redpoll (2), Black- 

 headed Bunting (1), Scarlet Grosbeak (2-3), Short -toed 

 Lark (2), Icterine Warbler (3), Marsh-Warbler (1) (formerlv 

 recorded as Reed-Warbler, Sept. 24th, 1906). Of other 

 migrants whose status is now made known to us for the first 

 time, we find that the Little Bunting and Siberian ChiffchafE 

 are not uncommon in autumn, and the Northern Willow- 

 Warbler in spring, while the Northern ChiffchafP, Continental 

 Hedge- Accentor and Lesser Whitethroat occur regularly on 

 both passages. 



St. Kilda has always been of interest to ornithologists as 

 the former British home of the Great Auk, and possessing 

 the. great breeding-stations in the British Isles of the Fulmar 

 and Leach's Petrel, as well as foi- having a Wren peculiar 

 to the island. From the visit of Martin Martin (1697) down- 

 wards, some dozen men have written on the birds found there, 

 all without exception in the summer months, but it was 

 left to Mr. Clarke to ascertain what migrants in autumn 

 reach this remotest western isle during his two visits of five 

 and six weeks. After giving a short topographical account 

 of the island, the author points out that it is in a favourable 

 position for observing migrants from Iceland and Greenland, 

 and also lies on the verge of the stream of migration which 

 sweeps down the west coast from and to northern Europe. 



