BIRDS. 215 



not recognise ; it seemed to be a short double note, or perhaps 

 a single one repeated twice in quick succession. I watched the 

 bird, and after a long flight it pitched straight down, as snipe 

 will generally do, into the rushes at the east end of the loch. 

 I walked round, but finding the ground extremely boggy, took 

 off my boots and stockings, and struggled along as well as I 

 could, often sinking over my knees in the soft mud, towards the 

 spot where I had marked it down. The " going " grew worse at 

 every step, and just as I was about to turn back, fairly beaten, 

 the bird rose behind me, and but for its curious call would have 

 escaped. As it was, I could only turn round with the greatest 

 difficulty, owing to both my legs being firmly imbedded in the 

 mud, but a rather lucky shot brought it down, and without 

 much further trouble it was brought to bag. The bird was thin 

 and in poor condition ; unfortunately I was unable to weigh it, 

 as the only obtainable scales had no weight under J Ib. I took 

 the following measurements : length from tip of bill to end of 

 tail, 9 91 in., and from carpal joint to end of longest primary, 

 5J in.; irides very dark brown; legs and toes yellowish green, 

 rather more yellow than green. I send you a sketch, showing 

 colour a few hours after death, and the body of bird for 

 dissection.' In plumage the bird appeared to be adult, having 

 the arrow-pointed markings on the breast-feathers, the principal 

 distinction between the adult and immature of this species (see 

 Yarrell, 4th ed., vol. iii. p. 372). The tail consists of twelve 

 feathers, the two centre ones extending about a quarter of an 

 inch beyond the others. The legs, as stated by Mr. Ogilvie, 

 were decidedly yellowish green, which differs from Mr. Saunders's 

 description, who states these parts to be yellowish brown. The 

 bird, on dissection, proved to be a female, the ovary containing 

 a large number of minute eggs. The stomach contained 

 remains of small coleoptera and grit. T. E. GUNN (St. Giles- 

 Street, Norwich.)" 



Tringa alpina, L. Dunlin, 



Ore. = Plover Page (B. and H.) 



Found on every island and holm we visited, breeding everywhere 

 throughout the Orkneys, and nowhere more abundantly than 



