﻿352 
  Mr. 
  E. 
  W. 
  H. 
  Blagg 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  have 
  ever 
  seen, 
  but 
  very 
  similar 
  in 
  coloration, 
  though 
  perhaps 
  

   they 
  have 
  a 
  browner 
  tint. 
  

  

  Swallow 
  [Hirundo 
  rustica). 
  Observed 
  on 
  Bressay, 
  

   May 
  27th, 
  also 
  at 
  Sand 
  Lodge, 
  June 
  6th. 
  

  

  House 
  Martin 
  {Hirundo 
  urUca). 
  Several 
  pairs 
  flying 
  

   about 
  the 
  cliffs 
  in 
  the 
  north 
  of 
  Unst, 
  May 
  31st; 
  several 
  

   birds 
  at 
  Sand 
  Lodge, 
  June 
  6th. 
  

  

  Twite 
  [Linota 
  flavirostris) 
  . 
  Local 
  name 
  " 
  Lintie.^' 
  

   Generally 
  distributed. 
  It 
  was 
  a 
  novel 
  experience 
  to 
  find 
  

   '' 
  Linnets' 
  " 
  nests 
  in 
  such 
  situations 
  as 
  the 
  Wagtails 
  build 
  

   in, 
  though 
  of 
  course 
  w'e 
  were 
  quite 
  prepared 
  for 
  it. 
  The 
  

   nests 
  we 
  found 
  were 
  built 
  either 
  in 
  crevices 
  of 
  rocks 
  or 
  

   amongst 
  the 
  heath 
  and 
  rough 
  grass 
  on 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  streams, 
  

   and 
  were 
  composed 
  of 
  such 
  materials 
  as 
  one 
  would 
  expect 
  to 
  

   find 
  in 
  a 
  Linnet's 
  nest, 
  being 
  generally 
  lined 
  with 
  sheep's 
  wool 
  

   of 
  several 
  colours, 
  brown, 
  white, 
  &c. 
  One 
  nest 
  we 
  found 
  

   contained 
  newly-hatched 
  young, 
  and 
  in 
  several 
  cases 
  the 
  eggs 
  

   were 
  in 
  an 
  advanced 
  state 
  of 
  incubation. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  

   beautiful 
  objects 
  when 
  fresh, 
  being 
  much 
  bluer 
  than 
  an 
  

   ordinary 
  Linnet's 
  egg, 
  but 
  are 
  spotted 
  and 
  streaked 
  in 
  the 
  

   same 
  varied 
  way. 
  The 
  yellow 
  beak 
  of 
  the 
  male 
  bird 
  is 
  very 
  

   noticeable 
  at 
  some 
  distance 
  away. 
  

  

  ■^ 
  Starling 
  {Sturnus 
  vulgaris). 
  Found 
  nesting 
  abundantly 
  

   in 
  the 
  heaps 
  of 
  stones 
  piled 
  up 
  in 
  different 
  places, 
  and 
  fre- 
  

   quently 
  in 
  holes 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  ground. 
  

  

  B/AVEN 
  [Corvus 
  corax). 
  Breeds 
  in 
  many 
  places 
  still. 
  On 
  

   Noss, 
  on 
  the 
  27th 
  of 
  May, 
  we 
  surprised 
  two 
  birds 
  on 
  the 
  

   cliffs 
  that 
  appeared 
  to 
  be 
  birds 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  ; 
  in 
  Unst 
  we 
  saw 
  

   a 
  lot 
  of 
  Bavens, 
  five 
  together 
  at 
  one 
  place. 
  On 
  an 
  island 
  in 
  

   the 
  south 
  we 
  saw 
  a 
  well-preserved 
  nest 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  young 
  

   had 
  been 
  taken 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  ago. 
  

  

  Hooded 
  Crow 
  {Corvus 
  comix). 
  " 
  Hoodie.^' 
  Very 
  gene- 
  

   rally 
  distributed, 
  and 
  nest 
  frequently 
  easy 
  of 
  access. 
  We 
  

   were 
  too 
  late 
  to 
  find 
  eggs 
  ; 
  we 
  discovered 
  several 
  nests 
  with 
  

   young 
  10 
  days 
  or 
  so 
  old 
  in 
  them. 
  Some 
  eggs 
  given 
  to 
  us 
  

   by 
  Mr. 
  George 
  Bruce, 
  and 
  others 
  we 
  obtained 
  elsewhere, 
  are 
  

  

  