854 The Zoologist — August, 18G7. 



Monday, May 27. — The following is some information we received 

 regarding the breeding of the buzzard : — ft" the old birds perceive 

 anyone in the vicinity of their nest before the eggs are laid they will at 

 once desert, but any keeper or shepherd, or other knowing the country, 

 will easily find out their second choice. If after the eggs are laid the 

 bird be disturbed she will destroy the eggs. J. S. has several times 

 seen this take place. To-day had an unsuccessful stretch over the 

 hills for ptarmigan's nest again, but the day was a bad one, there 

 being thick mist on the ptarmigan-ground all day. 



Wednesday, May 29. — Yesterday, along with our landlord at Innis- 

 nadamph, drove twenty miles to Scowrie. To-day engaged two 

 cragsmen to go over the rocks on Hauda, but few eggs were yet 

 laid, owing to the backwardness of the season. Saw starlings, kitti- 

 wakes, guillemots, bridled guillemots, razorbills, cormorants, shags, 

 puffins, herring gulls, great blackbacked gulls, rock pipits, black 

 guillemots. Puffins are now much rarer on Handa, owing to rats 

 having gained a footing on the island. Black guillemots are rare, 

 although at one time plentiful. Cormorants were introduced to Handa, 

 by Mr. Maclvor, the Duke's factor at Scowrie. Guillemots are the 

 most plentiful species, and kittiwakes next. We received a Richard- 

 sou's skua from Mr. Maclvor, shot a few days before on Handa. They 

 are but rarely seen on the west coast, but are plentiful on the east 

 coast. Its stomach contained a mass of zoophyte, a shrimp, and what 

 we took for portions of beetles. It was a female, and the ovary 

 contained about a dozen minute eggs. The bird was in very poor 

 condition. 



Thursday, May 30. — Visited the islands of Glen Coul, but only took 

 oystercatchers and common gull's eggs, and received six redbreasted 

 merganser's eggs taken that day. 



Friday, May 31. — Received two more merlin's eggs. The merlin is 

 a common hawk in Sutherland : I knew of three nesting-places within 

 a very small area. 



Saturday, June 1. — Devoted this day to searching for the green- 

 shank's eggs at Loch , about five miles from Innisnadamph. 



Jesse and I beat every square foot of the ground, but could not find 

 the nest. The birds were both there, dashing and crying round us all 

 day, but only once coming within gun-shot of us. We searched for 

 more than half a day amongst the long white grass which grows along 

 the margins of the loch. The greenshank seldom or never lays 

 amongst the heather. We finally offered a reward for the eggs, and 



