The Zoologist — January, 1867. 539 



Peregrine Falcon. — On the 7th of June I received a specimen of the 

 peregrine falcon, which had just been shot at Uyeasound : it was a 

 male, apparently from last year, and had not quite completed the 

 summer moult : both crop and stomach were quite empty. 



Dunlin. — During the latter half of June I found several dunlins' 

 nests upon the Hill of Colirdale, several hundred feet above the level 

 of the sea, and at least a quarter of a mile from the nearest drop of 

 fresh water. The nests were all placed among the heather, and con- 

 sisted of nothing more than a deep cavity, slightly lined with pieces of 

 moss and grass. One was completely hidden beneath an overhanging 

 spray of heather, and would have escaped notice had not the bird 

 flown out as I stepped over it. When a dunlin is near hatching, and 

 is disturbed in this manner, she alights almost immediately, and runs 

 trailing the wings and uttering a peculiar shrill cry ; when the danger 

 seems to be over she returns by running until within about twenty 

 yards of the nest, and then, after pausing awhile and looking round 

 upon all sides, flies the remaining distance. In the breeding season 

 these birds have a singular habit of hovering at a considerable 

 height above the ground, at the same time uttering a sort of gentle 

 warbling. 



July, 1866. 



Tuile. — Fresh eggs of the twite were found during the whole of 

 this month. 



Golden Plover. — Golden plovers began to assemble very early this 

 season. I saw the first flock, numbering about forty individuals, on 

 the 2nd of July. 



Crossbill. — A number of crossbills visited us on the 4th of July, 

 during a light N.E. wind. The greater number were birds of the 

 year, in green and yellow plumage, and there were several in bright 

 yellow or orange, but red ones were very scarce. They seemed to 

 feed entirely upon Aphides, to procure which they would snap off" a 

 rolled-up elm leaf, fly with it to some convenient perch, and then, 

 transferring it from the bill to one foot, pick them out at leisure. 



Rednecked Phalarope. — On the 14th of July several well-fledged 



birds of this species were observed in company with some old ones, in 



a marsh, by Mr. Thomas Edmondston, jun. Two of the former, which 



he shot, are now in my possession. There can be but little doubt 



that they were bred there. 



Henry L. Saxby. 



Baltasound, Shetland, July 31, 1866. 



