The Summer Birds of Shetland. 551 



30. Lapwing {Vanellus cristatus), (Tieves Nachet). — Saxby 

 says: "Now (1870) it is quite a common bird throughout 

 Shetland." So far as Unst is concerned, this is quite true, 

 but in many districts of the mainland and on other islands 

 the pewit is unknown. Its greater abundance in Unst is 

 doubtless due to the greater amount of cultivation on that 

 island. The only two places on the west coast of Mainland 

 at which I observed tliis bird were at Hillswick and Walls. 

 At the former one pair, and at the latter four pairs, were 

 nesting. An old inhabitant of Walls informed me that they 

 first appeared in the district about twenty years ago, so 

 that the species is probably still extending its range in the 

 islands. It occurs in some numbers in the Tingwall Valley. 



31. Turnstone {Strepsilas inter pres), (Stanepecker). — There 

 is no doubt a pair of these birds occasionally remains to breed 

 in Shetland. Thomas Edmondston considered them resident ; 

 and Saxby, after long and patient watching, found a nest 

 with three eggs at Widwick in Unst, which is the only record, 

 as far as I am aware. On the 27th May 1887, 1 saw a single 

 bird on the shore a few miles south of Lerwick, but from its 

 behaviour evidently not breeding. 



32. Oystercatcher {Hmmatopus ostrcdegus)^ (Shellder). — 

 The oystercatcher is common on many parts of the coast, 

 but not very numerous at any one place, though a pair or 

 two are to be found on most of the points. On the little 

 islands lying off shore they are perhaps most abundant. The 

 eggs are sometimes very badly concealed, as, for instance, 

 when placed, as they often are, in a hollow scooped in the 

 green turf on the edge of the cliff. 



33. Heron (Ardea cinerea), (Haigrie). — Very rarely remains 

 to breed. Saxby once obtained the eggs from a nest placed 

 among rocks at Whiteness on Mainland. 



34. Curlew (Numenius arqnata), (Whaup, Stock-whaup). 

 — Occurs sparingly on the mainland. I saw very few of 

 these birds, and they were very wary, in marked contrast to 

 the following species. 



35. Whimbrel {Nunnenius phceopus), (Tangwhaup, Peerie- 

 whaup). — These birds are not numerous, and are confined to 

 a few of the wildest and most thinly inhabited parts. In one 



VOL. IX. 2 



