9768 lUrcfs. 



of its second year. The measurements, which were taken before skin- 

 ning, have been given to me as follows : — 



On my return to Shetland, early in July, I was informed that one of 

 these birds was supposed to be still remaining in the island ; but 

 nothing further was ascertained until the 12lh, when it was observed 

 near the Loch of Cliff, sometimes upon the wing, but more frequently 

 walking about in the corn-fields. The last time it was seen that day 

 it was standing in the little holm, far out of shot from the shore. Ne.\t 

 day diligent search was made for it without the suiallest success ; but 

 a man who lives near the deserted village of Cliff assured us that tlie 

 bird had of late been almost constantly seen in that neighbourhood, 

 and his description convinced me that it was not a heron — a bird 

 which here, as elsewhere, is often called the crane. He said that it was 

 at least as high as a pony, that it never went very near the water, but 

 preferred the meadows and the fields of young corn, in which it 

 walked about with slow steps, now and then "picking at the ground, 

 for all the world like a hen." On the 17lh, as I was crossing the 

 hills above Cliff, the man ran to me in great haste with the news that 

 the crane had just gone down near the loch, upon the steep slope 

 which faces the north. Wishing to make quite sure as to the species 

 before going home for a gun, I crept among the long grass to the top 

 of the hill and peeped over, but as the sun dazzled me, the bird rose 

 before I was aware of its presence. It got up, with a low guttural cry, 

 sailed off with outstretched neck towards the loch, then turned facing 

 the wind, and soon afterwards alighted upon the same slope, some 

 three hundred yards distant from where it had just risen. As it flew, 

 the ends of the quills could be seen widely separated, giving the wings 

 a peculiar fringed-like appearance. Very carefully withdrawing from 

 sight, 1 hastened to Baltasound, about a couple of miles distant, for a 

 gun ; but, as is usual in such cases, a party of visitors had called 

 during my absence, and carried ofil" both guns and ammunition. More 

 than an hour was spent in searching for another, but at last I succeeded 

 in procuring a tremendously heavy old single-barrel, a little loose 

 powder and some rabbil-shot; and thus provided I hurried back. On 

 my arrival the bird was nowhere to be seen, and I was about to leave, 

 when it came sailing back, in a sneaking sort of way, under shelter of 



