132 BIRDS. 



attention. After watching it for a few minutes, the bird flew 

 away, evidently startled by people passing near where it was 

 perched. 



Sub-family IYNGIDJE. 

 lynx torquilla, L. Wryneck. 



A rare visitant, but we have notes of several having been either 

 seen or captured since the solitary specimen recorded by Baikie 

 and Heddle. 



In a MS. note by R Heddle, one of the authors above men- 

 tioned, he says that a Wryneck was seen at Melsetter in an 

 apple-tree, and that several have been killed at Holm, etc., 

 since the publication of their book. 



Mr. Moodie-Heddle sends us notes of two seen at Melsetter, 

 one in 1841, and another in 1850; but these may well be the 

 same as those just referred to, and of which we have no dates. 



The late Mr. Ranken saw a specimen which had been 

 obtained in Orkney by Dr. Duguid in 1855. 



Mr. Traill of Woodwick informed Mr. Spence that a specimen 

 was got in N. Eonaldsay about 1865, and another was obtained 

 by Dr. Logic of Kirkwall a year or two later, taken in one of 

 the North Isles. Since then Dr. Traill obtained another speci- 

 men, picked up dead near his garden in N. Ronaldsay on May 

 6th, 1886. 



Buckley shot a male Wryneck in Rousay on September 8th, 

 1883, as it was flying and settling on a stone wall along the 

 roadside. 



DESMOGNATHJE. 

 Order 1. COCCYGES. 



Sub-order COCCYGES ANISO-DACTYLL 



Family ALCEDINIDJE. 

 Alcedo ispida, L. Common Kingfisher. 



We have no further instance of this bird's appearance in Orkney 

 since the one mentioned by Low as having been seen by him. 



