The Summer Birds of Shetland. 545 



with it on two occasions in 1887; one, a fenuile, I put off her 

 nest just under the "Horn of Papa," on the island of Papa- 

 Stour, and another on Eoeness Hill. The first-mentioned 

 bird was very bold, and kept flying backwards and forwards, 

 screaming loudly. Probably her young were newly hatched. 

 The putfin forms a very favourite prey of these birds, and I 

 met with large quantities of their remains near an eyrie in 

 Unst. 



3. Merlin {Falco cescdon), (Maalin, Sparrowhawk). — This 

 beautiful little hawk is not at all frequent on the mainland, 

 and I met with it only twice. One I saw chasing a raven on 

 Eoeness Hill ; and a pair at the Bergs of North Poe, the 

 female of w4iich I put off her nest, containing two eggs. The 

 eggs were deposited in the old nest of a hooded crow (merely 

 a slight hollow in the turf, surrounded by a rim of burnt 

 heather stems), situated on the ledge of a low rock on a 

 broken rocky slope. 



4. Kestrel (Falco tinnuncidm), (Maalin, Sparrowhawk). — 

 The people as a rule do not distinguish between this bird and 

 the last, and many of the eggs in the shops in Lerwick should 

 more properly be assigned to the kestrel than to their nominal 

 owner. The kestrel is, however, not abundant anywhere, and 

 seems very local, and regular in its return to breeding haunts. 

 Thus I found a nest with six young at a spot mentioned by 

 Saxby as being frequented by them in 1869. 



5. Hen Harrier {Circus cyctneus). — Said by Saxby in 1869 

 to be " rare even as a visitor." I did not meet with it, nor 

 with any one who knew the bird. 



6. Shorteared Owl {Otus hrachyotus), (Catyogle) does not 

 seem to be common. Mr Scott of Melby has heard them in 

 the vicinity of Melby House. Saxby found a nest in heather 

 between Bardister and Ollaberry, in Northmavine. I did 

 not meet with it in any place. 



7. Snowy Owl {Surnia nyctea, Nyctea scandiaca), (Caty- 

 ogle). — There is little doubt that this owl used occasionally to 

 breed in the island of Unst, though no instance has occurred 

 in recent years. About 1822 Edmondston was informed 

 of a nest with three young being found near Baltasound ; 

 and Saxby several times met with it in summer. In 



