﻿Nesting 
  of 
  some 
  Shetland 
  Birds. 
  351 
  

  

  describe 
  the 
  whereabouts 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  breeding-haunts 
  

   referred 
  to. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  nesting 
  birds 
  T 
  shall 
  also 
  mention 
  

   a 
  few 
  species 
  which, 
  according 
  to 
  Dr. 
  Saxby's 
  work, 
  are 
  of 
  

   rare 
  occurrence 
  in 
  the 
  Shetlands, 
  or 
  are 
  not 
  usually 
  met 
  

   with 
  there 
  in 
  the 
  breeding-season. 
  

  

  Fieldfare 
  [Turdus 
  pilaris). 
  One 
  bird 
  noticed 
  on 
  the 
  

   island 
  of 
  Noss 
  on 
  the 
  26th 
  of 
  May, 
  another 
  seen 
  on 
  Balta 
  

   Isle 
  on 
  the 
  2nd 
  of 
  June, 
  unless, 
  indeed, 
  it 
  was 
  the 
  same 
  bird 
  

   gradually 
  working 
  its 
  way 
  north 
  ! 
  

  

  — 
  Wheatear 
  [Saxicola 
  oenanfhc). 
  Local 
  name 
  " 
  Stinkle.^' 
  

   Very 
  abundant 
  and 
  breeding 
  everywhere. 
  

  

  Common 
  Wren 
  {Troglodytes 
  parvulus). 
  Not 
  by 
  any 
  means 
  

   abundant, 
  but 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  several 
  places. 
  We 
  were 
  struck 
  

   with 
  the 
  difference 
  in 
  appearance 
  between 
  these 
  Wrens 
  

   and 
  the 
  Wren 
  of 
  the 
  South, 
  the 
  Shetland 
  Wrens 
  being 
  larger 
  

   and 
  more 
  barred. 
  ]\Iight 
  not 
  these 
  Shetland 
  birds 
  be 
  

   T. 
  borealis? 
  

  

  Pied 
  Wagtail 
  {Motacilla 
  luguhris). 
  Seen 
  in 
  Unst, 
  

   May 
  31st. 
  

  

  Rock 
  Pipit 
  {Antlnis 
  ohscurus). 
  Very 
  abundant, 
  but 
  the 
  

   nest 
  very 
  difficult 
  to 
  find 
  ; 
  however, 
  we 
  managed 
  to 
  discover 
  

   three 
  nests. 
  The 
  first, 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  2Gth 
  of 
  May, 
  was 
  only 
  

   half 
  built 
  ; 
  this 
  was 
  situated 
  in 
  rather 
  a 
  damp 
  and 
  dark 
  spot 
  

   in 
  a 
  fissure 
  between 
  two 
  large 
  rocks. 
  Another 
  nest, 
  dis- 
  

   covered 
  on 
  the 
  31st 
  of 
  May, 
  contained 
  four 
  eggs 
  very 
  

   slightly 
  incubated. 
  The 
  nest 
  was 
  situated 
  under 
  a 
  clod 
  of 
  

   turf 
  at 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  a 
  drain 
  running 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  sea-coast, 
  

   and 
  was 
  made 
  of 
  dried 
  grass 
  and 
  lined 
  with 
  horse-hair 
  or 
  

   probably 
  pony's 
  hair 
  ! 
  The 
  mother 
  bird 
  was 
  very 
  tame, 
  and 
  

   remained 
  close 
  by 
  the 
  nest 
  for 
  some 
  time 
  after 
  being 
  put 
  off 
  

   her 
  eggs. 
  On 
  June 
  1st 
  we 
  found 
  the 
  third 
  nest 
  ; 
  this 
  was 
  dis- 
  

   covered 
  by 
  my 
  friend 
  only 
  after 
  turning 
  over 
  some 
  hundred 
  

   or 
  so 
  of 
  boulders 
  in 
  a 
  spot 
  where 
  the 
  birds 
  were 
  particularly 
  

   numerous 
  ; 
  it 
  contained 
  recently-hatched 
  young 
  and 
  one 
  

   addled 
  egg. 
  The 
  Rock 
  Pipits' 
  eggs 
  that 
  we 
  took 
  in 
  the 
  

   Shetlands 
  are 
  larger 
  than 
  any 
  Meadow 
  Pipits' 
  eggs 
  that 
  I 
  

  

  