4 EMBERIZID.E. 



they were nesting, and in 1871 Mr. Harvie Brown beard 

 that young birds bad been again seen on Locbnagar. Mr. 

 Gray also learnt from Mr. William Hamilton tbat on July 

 12tb, 1868, tbat gentleman and bis brotber saw, on tbe top 

 of Scuir Ouran, a bill some 4000 feet bigb on tbe borders of 

 Inverness and Ross, two pairs of Snow-Buntings, wbicb 

 no doubt were breeding, and tbe same naturalist also states 

 tbat near Gairlocb, in tbe western part of tbe latter county 

 tbere is a group of bigb mountains wbicb are likewise 

 frequented by tbese birds in summer, wbile Mr. Jobn 

 Bateson of Sbielday has lately informed bim tbat tbey breed 

 in a range of precipitous bills in tbat neigbbourbood.* 



In tbe postbumously-publisbed ' Birds of Shetland ' of 

 tbe lamented Dr. Saxby it is stated tbat a few Snow-Bunt- 

 ings invariably remain tbrougbout tbe summer in tbose 

 islands. Many years ago, having observed them in pairs 

 from May till August on tbe bill and cliffs of Saxaford in 

 Unst, be became convinced tbat tbey must breed there, and 

 bis suspicions Avere strengthened by seeing two of their eggs 

 among tbe spoils of a local dealer. However be says " No 

 certainty in the matter was arrived at until tbe 2nd July 1861, 

 when a man discovered a nest and three fresh eggs, all of 

 which be brought to me. He had found them in tbe crevice 

 of a rock near the top of one of the high sea-cliffs at Burra- 

 firth, below tbe hill of Saxaford. Tbe nest was rather shallow, 

 and was composed of coarse grass and fibrous roots, lined 

 with wool and fine hair of horses and cows. After this I 

 often observed tbe birds in tbe breeding season, once in 

 July, about the cliffs at Graveland, but usually near the old 

 spot." In 1867 Saxby again obtained three more unidenti- 

 fied specimens, and in 1871 a nest and four eggs wbicb bad 

 been found tbe preceding summer among the stones of a 

 demolished cairn in Saxaford. This nest is described as 

 being very like the former one, but it was a little thicker 

 and contained a few pieces of fern in tbe walls. 



In the Faeroes a considerable number of Snow-Buntings 

 pass the summer. On tbe more southerly of the islands 



* Capt. Kennedy thinks that it also breeds in the Orkneys (Zool. s.s. p. 3914). 



