XI 



IONA, 20th September 1852. 



I REGRET very much that I have entirely lost this season, so far 

 as ornithological pursuits are concerned, owing to my absence 

 during the most interesting time namely, while the birds were 

 nesting. It is a useless occupation lamenting over lost oppor- 

 tunities, but I must mention one or two. 



A pair of Eider Ducks and a pair of Shieldrakes have success- 

 fully reared their broods upon Soay Island, and have gone off 

 with their families unmolested. Another Shieldrake's nest was 

 discovered upon one of the Treshnish Isles by a youth connected 

 with the fishery, and while he was handling the eggs he observed 

 another hole at the back of the Shieldrake's nest, and discovered 

 within it a Shearwater (Puffinus anglorum) sitting upon her egg. 

 I lost all these owing to my not being at home. 



On the 6th of this month, when on a visit to Staffa, we shot a 

 number of Guillemots and Eazor-bills ; they were mostly birds of 

 the year, and among them was one young Bridled Guillemot ( Uria 

 lachrymans)\ though in immature plumage, the white line round 

 the eye was quite distinctly marked, but the bird was too much 

 injured to be preserved. We took away a pair of young Eock 

 Doves (Columba lima) from Soay, intending to rear them by hand, 

 as we have often done before ; but it happened that a pair of tame 

 Pigeons had just had their young taken by a cat, and of their 



