rroccedhujs. 101 



On May 31st Manx Shearwaters were found upon tlieir 

 eggs, most of which were hard-set. The nostrils of this bird 

 differ from those of the Storm Petrel in opening upward, 

 instead of forward, and in each being a separate tube ; 

 whereas those of the smaller bird appear at the orifice like a 

 single tube divided by a vertical partition. The Shearwaters 

 seemed to prefer grassy or heathery shelves half-way down 

 the cliffs in places sheltered from the full force of the western 

 gales. The sitting bird is extremely fat, and in request as an 

 article of diet among the natives, who call them "Booties" 

 or "PuflSns." They bite and scratch fiercely when touched. 



On May 31st a man brought three Storm Petrels, which he 

 had taken from their holes ; they had no eggs yet. On 

 Jime 3rd, and again on June 5th, we examined these nests ; 

 there were about twenty holes in use, and no eggs were found 

 on either visit, although the little pad of white grass which 

 serves for a nest was finished and most holes contained a 

 pair of birds, which fought their captor gallantly, scratching 

 and squeaking with much energy until released. On June 

 25th I received fresh eggs from this site, and one much 

 incubated ; this colony would hence appear to be an early- 

 breeding one. No Fork-tailed Petrels were seen, though one 

 of the men said he knew the bird. 



Whilst investigating the Petrels' holes, a Wheatear's nest 

 and eggs were disinterred from one, and from two others 

 nests and eggs similar to a Eeed Bunting's, but, if of this 

 species, they were in a somewhat unusual position, being 

 placed fully two feet from the entrance. The nests were slight 

 structures of white grass, and no feathers were used ; how- 

 ever, I can hardly doubt the species, although no birds were 

 noticed. If the birds used this site at all, they could hardly 

 do otherwise than nest in a burrow, for not a bunch of long 

 grass or bush was in sight, and three species of Gull were 

 breeding all around. Swifts and an occasional Swallow were 

 seen on the mainland. 



On June 4th, hearing that a bird described as the Herring 

 Hawk nested on a lake inland, I went thither, and found a 

 pair of Red-throated Divers breeding ; the nest differed in no 



