VOL. VIII.] NOTES. 123 



I HAVE watched Moor-Hens' nests on our pond for nearly 

 fifty years and have never yet seen any of the eggs covered 

 when the birds were away, and as we have any amount of 

 rats, one would suppose that if it is customary for them to 

 cover their eggs for protection, they would do so in this 

 case. Further, I may say that I have never come across a 

 nest of Moor-Hen with the eggs covered in all my wanderings. 



Herbert Massey. 



Notes from Scottish Islands, Spring, 1914. — The 

 Duchess of Bedford publishes {Scot. Nat. 1914, pp. 173-181) 

 some interesting notes of birds seen at various Scottish 

 islands in the spring of 1914. The article is accompanied 

 by some very excellent photographs of the Stack (Orkneys) 

 and North Rona. The notes of chief interest are as 

 follows : — 



Ortolan Bunting {Emberiza hortulana). — On May 8th there 

 appeared at Fair Isle a number of these birds. It was difficult to 

 estimate how many, but every little patch of ploughed land held 

 one or more. They stayed a few days. 



Gannet [Sula hassana). — The number of Gannets at the Stack 

 of Stack and Skerry is estimated at about five thousand. Mr. Gurney 

 in The Gannet estimated the number from various reports at five 

 thousand on p. 164, but subsequently (p. 325) considered eight 

 thousand probable. The Duchess notes that she has frequently 

 seen these birds fishing in a perfectly calm sea, thovigh it has been 

 stated that they cannot catch fish in such water. 



Great Shearwater (Puffinus gravis). — On June 21st immediately 

 after leaving tlie Stack numbers of Great Shearwaters were seen. 

 Often six or eight were in sight at one moment, and for two hours 

 the yacht going slow was passing amongst them. They are described 

 as somewhat heavy looking on the water with much white showing 

 on their flanks. In flight they appear very dark, slightly slimmer 

 than Fulmars, with a dark band across the tail and the white on the 

 upper tail-coverts conspicuous. 



Fulmar Petrel {Fulmarus g. glacialis). — A few Fulmars were 

 found breeding on Bulgach, an island between Cape Wrath and Handa, 

 in both of which places the bird has bred for some time. The Duchess 

 also I'emarks that all along the north coast of Sutherland, Fulmars 

 are seen in small numbers. 



Whimbrel (Numenius ph. ph'copus). — A pair were seen on high 

 gromid on North Rona on June 21st, but there was not time to search 

 for a nest. 



Grey-headed Wagtail and Continental Redbreasts 

 ON THE Isle of May.^MIss L. J. Rintoul and Miss E. V. 

 Baxter paid their usual sprnig visit to the Isle of May from 

 May 8t]i to 25th, 1914, and record {Scot. Nat. 1914, pp. 

 198-201) that a Orey-headed Wagtail (MotaciUa f. thunhergi) 



