Birds. 9767 



likely the property of those birds which have already been robbed, for 

 they usually occur in those situations which are most easily accessible 

 to egg-gatherers. 



Twite. — On the 25th I found a twite's nest upon the high top of 

 Vallafiel. The eggs were, to all appearance, within a week of hatching. 

 The nest was very snugly placed between the perpendicular face of a 

 large stone and the tall surrounding heather. 



Heron. — Great numbers of herons have lately appeared, but I observe 

 very few adults among them. 



Crane. — Two of these rare birds have just been killed here : I will 

 add particulars in a postscript. 



Henry L, Saxby. 



Baltasound, Shelland, Julj 31, 1865. 



Postscript. — In the preceding communication I mentioned the occur- 

 rence of the crane (Grus cinerea) in the island of Unst, at the same 

 time proposing to give some further particulars in my next. To those 

 of my readers who are acquainted with the crane in its wild state my 

 remarks may perhaps appear trivial, but here I would observe that if 

 the ' Zoologist ' is to continue to be what it has been for many years, 

 the most complete record in existence of the habits of birds, not merely 

 a dry list of captures, no fact which contributes even in a small degree 

 to the great end in view can be deemed unworthy of notice. Moreover, 

 it seems only just that he who is instrumental in causing the scarcity 

 of a species should also make the only amends in his power to his 

 brother naturalists, by allowing them to avail themselves to the utmost 

 of every advantage, however slight, which, as a rule, he has gained by 

 accident alone. 



One evening about the middle of last June, four large birds, uttering 

 loud cries, which were described as resembling those of the wild swan, 

 were observed flying across Baltasound in a southerly direction, and, 

 slowly descending, they became lost to view against the hills. Some 

 days afterwards a large bird, said to be one of the four, was shot at 

 Haroldsvvick, in a meadow near the sea, and brought to Mr. Thomas 

 Edmondston, of Buness, where it was identified as a specimen of the 

 crane, and soon afterwards the skin was sent to Edinburgh to be 

 stuffed. No red colour was observed upon the top of the head, but as 

 that fades soon after death it might easily have been overlooked. 

 From all that I can hear, the bird seems to have been in the plumage 



