PREFACE. vii 



in the Orkneys also possesses the loch of Skaill, which, 

 to an ornithologist, is one of the most attractive in the 

 Mainland, and he has sent us many notices of waterfowl 

 from thence ; we think there is more still to be done 

 there and in that neighbourhood, Mr. Watt himself 

 being more an antiquarian than ornithologist. We have 

 also corresponded with Mr. Leask of Boardhouse and 

 Mr. Cowan of Kirk wall, the latter gentleman being quite 

 an authority on fish. 



Sanday has perhaps given more rare birds to the 

 Orkneys than almost all the other islands put together ; 

 and the late Mr. Strang's place of Lopness has been ably 

 filled in all senses of the word by his successor Mr. 

 Harvey. The latter gentleman has added the Nutcracker 

 to the faunal roll, and he has been good enough to send 

 us an almost complete list of the birds of Sanday as well 

 as a very interesting description of the island itself. 

 Hearing that we were purposing to bring out a volume 

 on Orkney birds, Mr. Monteith-Ogilvie was good enough 

 at once to send us a note of the Pectoral Sandpiper 

 procured by him in Westray, and he has since by corre- 

 spondence given us a great deal of information on birds 

 both from that island and Papa Westray. 



Through the kindness of Mr. Moodie-Heddle, the 



