NOTES. 119 



the different volumes of the " Scottish Faunas," notably those 

 of Orkney and the Outer Hebrides. What may be considered 

 a normal site in one locality is unusual in another, and only 

 affords evidence of the great adaptability of that bird to its 

 environment at the breeding season. This point is the one of 

 real interest, and as extreme cases of their adaptability, these 

 nests on or in the ground are good illustrations. Although 

 they are all mentioned in the books above referred to, they 

 certainly come as somewhat of a surprise to one who has not 

 looked up the particular point. During the present summer, 

 in Orkney, I found that in certain parts of the mainland and 

 the adjacent small islands these sites were actually the 



Rabbit-hole opening on level ground, used by Starlings for nesting 

 purposes. Roseness, Orkney. 



normal ones and quite common. The holes in the ground 

 containing nests that I examined were all rabbit-holes, and not 

 only were those opening on the face of a low bank or cliff 

 occupied, but many also of those opening on the surface of 

 perfectly level ground were also used by Starlings. Most of 

 these were of the most common type of rabbit-hole with a 

 scratched out sloping entrance, but one or two nests that I 

 found were in holes, the entrances of which were perfectly 

 round and flush with the surface, of the type known as " bolt " 

 or " pop-holes." In these there was a vertical drop of a foot 



