186 BIRDS. 



feet above sea-level ; he also says he has known authentic cases 

 of nests being found not far from high-water mark. Mergansers 

 are often seen in flocks of from twenty to thirty. 



Mergus albellus, L. Smew. 



The late Mr. Robert Heddle had a note that the Smew is at times 

 common in Hoy Sound. Mr. Moodie-Heddle of Melsetter 

 writes us that he killed a male in fine plumage in the Oar Burn, 

 Longhope, in the winter of 1870, when shooting in company 

 with the late Mr. M 'Donald, of the National Bank, Kirkwall, 

 who got the specimen for preservation. 



Mr. Begg, Stromness, had a Smew sent him from Walls in 

 1853, and a year or two after he shot another near the Bring, 

 in Hoy. 



Series SCHIZOGNATH.E. 



Order 1. COLUMB^E. 



Family COLUMBID-E. 



Columba palumbus, L. Ring-Dove, 



Somewhere in the forties of this century, the Wood- pigeon began 

 to make its presence known, both on the Mainland, and, accord- 

 ing to Messrs. Baikie and Heddle, on Sanday, though from this 

 latter island we have no further instances of its occurrence 

 since they wrote. Buckley saw two in Rousay in 1883, but 

 they did not stay to breed, one disappearing before the other. 



Of its increase in the Mainland we have full accounts from 

 our correspondents. 



Mr. Ranken says it was very rare there up to 1845, when 

 his father had only seen two specimens ; another was killed by 

 him in 1846, and another on April 1st, 1848, since which date 

 they have become much commoner. It is now a permanent 

 resident, and Mr. Ranken has often found its nest. About 

 twenty are usually to be found at Muddiesdale, and Mr. 

 Ranken has seen fully a hundred birds there in a flock. They 



