The Birds of Skije. 141 



early autumn, though I have reason to believe that there are 

 one or two nesting stations on the west coast of Skye. The 

 evidence hereon is still incomplete, but I have repeatedly 

 observed them under suspicious circumstances. 



Puffinus major. — On July 13th, 1885, I found a dead 

 specimen lying upon a heap of torn seaware among the rocks 

 at Lowergill. All night long we had searched for the Manx 

 Shearwater, but to no purpose. When day began to break, 

 this interesting waif was descried upon the shore. Pro- 

 bably it had perished in the Minch, and had been blown ashore 

 by a K-W. gale on July 11th. The neck was so much 

 torn, that it seemed best to macerate the specimen; and 

 having no books of reference at hand (except the keeper's 

 copy of John's "British Birds," with the woodcut of which the 

 specimen agreed), I minutely compared the bird with two 

 fresh skins of Fufflnus anglorum, and took the following 

 description of P, major : — bill, grey ; lower mandible, paler ; 

 tarsi, 2.4 ; central toe, 2.9 ; colour of tarsi, toes and webs, 

 pinkish white, a dark band shooting along the outer surface of 

 tarsi and outer toes, and slightly mottling the webs ; interior 

 of mouth, pale grey; first primary, slightly exceeding 

 second; wing measurement, exactly 13 inches. The demar- 

 cation between the dark-brown upper surface, and the white 

 neck and lower parts, was very striking. 



Alca torda. — Summer visitant, great numbers breedinoj ou 

 the ledges from Lowergill to Ramasaig. 



Lomvia troile. — Summer visitant, approaching our coast 

 in small numbers at the beginning of April, and breeding at 

 Lowergill in denser throngs than A. torda} In April 1885, 

 I observed an individual on Dunvegan Loch, in which 

 the upper parts were of a uniform cream or dun colour ; and 

 in the following July, I again saw a cream-coloured Guillemot 

 in the Sound between Eigg and Arisaig. A similar variety is 

 recorded by Mr John Cordeaux {Zool, 1 877, p. 298). [Feilden 

 and Harvie-Brown have one in their collection. — J. A. H. B.] 



Uria grylle. — Resident, — a feiu winter with us, — nesting 

 in vast numbers at the Ascribs, where they nestle among the 



^ In 1886 I observed a Guillemot still in full winter dress off Oban on 25th 

 June, 



