52 THE PENTLAND SKERRIES. 



ning in 1879, and ending in 1887, and all the species are there 

 entered, with date and place, as far as they could be identi- 

 fied. 



We will now proceed to mention those birds that occur on 

 migration at the Pentland Skerries, and at any other lighthouse 

 on the islands from which we have any returns of interest. Where 

 no lighthouse is actually mentioned, the Pentland Skerries must 

 be understood. 



The best and simplest plan will be to take each family in 

 order, and make our notes as concise as possible, omitting, how- 

 ever, the water-birds as being presently of less interest. 



Turdidce. The rarest of these birds are the Missel-Thrush and 

 Ring-Ouzel. Missel-Thrushes were seen at North Ronaldsay at 

 the end of September 1882, and these birds have also been re- 

 corded from there in January. On the Pentland Skerries one was 

 seen for the first time on April 1st, 1888, and another on March 

 25th, 1889, marked " very rare," by Mr. Gilmour, the assistant light- 

 keeper, who says he has only seen these birds once or twice 

 before. 



Ring-Ouzels are seen mostly on spring migrations ; one was seen 

 as late as May 17th. In April 1886 there was a rush, but this is 

 rare; they are generally in smaller lots. They are not so com- 

 mon in the autumn. 



The other migrants are Fieldfares, Redwings, Thrushes, and 

 Blackbirds ; the latter rarely strike the light, and are perhaps the 

 rarest. The greatest " rush " of these species takes place about 

 the middle of October, and up to the first week of November, 

 varying, no doubt, according to the wind and other causes. Field- 

 fares return in greatest numbers in the end of April and the first 

 week or ten days of May, but Redwings and Thrushes are remark- 

 able for their scarcity in the spring records. An odd Thrush is 

 also occasionally seen in July. Blackbirds and Thrushes occur 

 pretty frequently in September, which, too, seems to be the most 

 usual month for the Ring-Ouzels. 



Saxicolince. Wheatears arrive in greatest numbers about the 

 first week of April, and occasionally in rushes, as at the Pentland 



