Fauna of Shetland. 1M\ 



Corvus corax. Permanent. A deadly enemy to lambs and ponies. 

 Attacking them when on the low diet which winter affords, we slew 

 fifteen, which had the effect of rendering them more wary, but not, 

 apparently, less numerous. 



C. corone. Occasional, summer. Rarely seen, 

 C. cornix (hoodie). Permanent, Common, bold and handsome, 

 but decidedly mischievous, 



C, frugilegus. Occasional, spring. 

 C. monedula and C. glandarius. Occasional, 



Picus martins. A specimen was killed at Belmont, in Unst. I 

 heard also of another species said not to be P. major, but like it, 

 which as yet I am unable to trace. 



Troglodytes europseus. Permanent. 



Upupa Epops. Occasional, summer. One rose before me in the 

 dusk, and set my thoughts wandering among unknown woodpeckers, 

 which a long chase and frequent glimpses did not then dispel, as the 

 bird had an unaccountable facility for scaling the stone walls or" dykes" 

 which adorn the country in all directions; however, the morning dis- 

 closed the species in the same field or "park," to which, when dis- 

 turbed, it always returned, with a wavering flight hke that of Arge 

 Galathea, which indeed it much resembled. It seemed most at home 

 on the ground, always keeping close to the "dykes," 



Cuculus canorus. Occasional, summer. 



Coracias garrula. Occasional. 



Hirundo rustica and H. urbica. Breed occasionally, 



Cypselus apus and Caprimulgus europasus. Occasional. 



Columba livia. Permanent and numerous. 



C. turtur, I shot one at a snap shot, in mistake for a hawk, while 

 dashing over the garden wall at Halligarth, September 9lh. I believe 

 this is the second example of its occurrence in Shetland. 



Glareola lorquata. Not since 1812. 



Charadrius pluvialis. Permanent. In flights of many thousands 

 in autumn, but many migrate. These birds descend to the valleys at 

 dusk, when they may be easily approached and shot if the sportsman 

 can see them, which, however, is only practicable when they rise, and 

 this they are averse to do, preferring to run, uttering all the while 

 their plaintive cry, close at hand but totally invisible. 



C. hiaticula. Permanent. 



Vanellus melanogaster. Occasional. 



V. cristatus. Permanent, and on the increase, a pair or two only 

 bemg the stock a lew yeais since; now there are several respectable 

 flights. 



