4 GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION AND PHYSICAL 



them. But when the area is so comparatively small, and the popu- 

 lation increases, agriculture must push ahead to the detriment of 

 the ferce naturce. Gamekeepers, too, except, we believe, on one 

 estate, are unknown, so the cats and dogs have things pretty much 

 their own way, and the wonder is that so much is left. 



Eegarding this disappearance of these interesting indigenous 

 birds, we think the following notes from Mr. Watt of Skaill, him- 

 self a resident Orcadian, cannot fail to be of interest : 



" The Loch of Skaill, and Bay of Skaill, have, from early obser- 

 vation, been the resort of a variety of birds which frequent the 

 islands, and it is with regret that I have noticed within the last 

 twenty-five years that they are becoming every year fewer, in 

 particular the small waders, which used to go about the sands in 

 large flocks, and among these at times were to be seen some of the 

 rarer kind, such as the Phalaropes, Greenshanks, Kuffs, etc. Phala- 

 ropes I have not seen since about the year 1867; they used to 

 breed here. I shot a couple of brace of Knots in 1868 out of a 

 flock of ten, and last summer a friend of mine shot a brace near 

 the Loch of Stenness. In 1884 I shot a Greenshank on the margin 

 of the loch of Skaill, and in October last shot a Eeeve. The 

 Turnstones, which between 1863-70 were pretty numerous, I have 

 not seen for years, and sandlarks and Dunlins are in small numbers 

 compared to the flocks that used to frequent our shores. The last 

 two nested close to the bay and loch. The only reason for which 

 I can suppose these latter birds have fallen off in number is owing 

 to the cultivation of their former suitable and quiet breeding- 

 grounds, which has caused them to go further north, probably to 

 the Faroes, and the winters in the north, of late years, having 

 been much milder, there they have remained. 1 



" Snipe, Eedshanks, Golden Plover, and Green Plover or Lap- 

 wing, were plentiful, but now few; this again is owing to the 

 swamps being drained, and turned into fertile fields." 



As before mentioned, the manufacture of kelp in these islands 

 has much decreased, but still a considerable amount is made, 



1 Of course we do not agree with our friend in all respects, but the decrease 

 in the number of birds is undoubted. 



