BIRDS. 129 



In Wolley's Egg-Book, vol. iii. pp. 283-4, appears the fol- 

 lowing : 



"April I5th, 1849. The cathedral having been undergoing 

 repairs, the ravens which always built on it (and near to a pair 

 of Kestrels) have left, and, according to report, gone to the old 

 ruins of the Bishop's Palace. Here I climb up, and as the nest 

 of Eaven (or Crow) is empty, I fancy it has been taken. The 

 year before I saw nine (?) Eavens at once upon the cathedral." 



Eavens are getting very scarce now in the Orkneys, and in 

 1888 we only met with them once, in Westray, where we 

 saw a family party of four or five. Mr. Millais says they breed 

 regularly in one place, not far from Stromness. One bird used 

 to attend him regularly when he went out " flighting," on the 

 chance of picking up a wounded bird ; it would never come near 

 enough to be shot at. 



Order 2. MACROCHIRES. 

 Family CYPSELID^I. 



Cypselus apus (L). Common Swift. 



Has been seen more frequently since Low's time, but has not 

 increased much since Baikie and Heddle wrote. 



Mr. Eanken's father saw a Swift wheeling round St. Magnus 

 Cathedral, Kirkwall, in company with three or four Swallows, 

 on June 20th, 1847, the second time only in nine years and a 

 half that he had seen them in Orkney. Mr. T. W. Eanken has 

 for several years past, but not always consecutively, seen Swifts, 

 sometimes three or four at a time, circling round the spire of 

 the cathedral, and Mr. W. Eeid has also frequently seen them 

 there at the same place. Swifts have also been observed, 

 though rarely, on other parts of the Mainland. Mr. Irvine- 

 Fortescue has seen them occasionally at Swanbister. Mr. Watt 

 has also observed them at Skaill, and in the summer of 1866 

 he shot one near the palace of Birsay. 



It is rare in Hoy. The late Mr. J. G. Heddle shot one 

 there in 1861. Mr. Moodie-Heddle shot another in harvest 



I 



