Birds. 9241 
its back and strikes fiercely with its claws, but any person who feels 
bold enough to handle an angry “ kat-yogl” would do well first to 
examine some very ugly scratches upon the stock of a certain gun in 
my possession. A man to whom I showed my captive told me that 
last autumn he saw an owl about the same size, only it was of a dark 
colour, and had “ ears like a rabbit’s.” It was sitting upon a stone on 
a low piece of ground near Haroldswick, and allowed him to get very 
near. Of course this must have been an eagle owl, a bird which for- 
merly visited these islands not unfrequently, but is now of extremely 
rare occurrence. 
Raven.—Ravens are still at Uyea Sound in almost incredible num- 
bers. On visiting the island of Uyea some evenings ago, I was 
astonished to observe the edges of some of the cliffs perfectly blackened 
with crowds of these birds: I heard several estimates of their number, 
and, after making full allowance for a considerable amount of exag- 
geration, certainly satisfied myself that eight hundred would be very 
near the mark. The gathering was largest on the evening of the 18th 
of June, since which time it has been rapidly decreasing. 
Peregrine Falcon.—\ heard that young peregrine falcons left their 
nest on the 28th of June. 
Redthroated Diver.—Redthroated divers are now laying. The eggs 
are very seldom met with in this island, although they were abundant 
a few years ago. At this season there are always plenty in the island 
of Yell. 
Wheatear and House Sparrow.—Wheatears sometimes build in 
holes of walls upon the remains of old nests of the house sparrow.’ I 
found a nest in such a situation about a fortnight since; it was com- 
posed of the usual materials, and could easily be lifted entirely away 
from the flattened remains of the old nest. Sometimes the order of 
things is reversed, and, if the crevice be sufficiently large, a house 
sparrow will construct its own comparatively clumsy habitation upon 
the neat little nest of a wheatear. 
Common and Ringed Guillemot.—Common and ringed guillemots 
are now breeding plentifully. On looking over my notes I can find 
very little that is new regarding the right of the two birds to be classed 
as distinct species, but as many ornithologists are still in doubt, I beg 
to offer such small amount of evidence as I have been able to collect. 
lt was only when I began to examine for myself that my belief in the 
two varieties (?) breeding apart was discarded. It is true that, now 
and then, one sees one particular portion of the rock inhabited solely 
by three or four of the ringed birds, but by far the greater number 
VOL. XXII. Sry: Be 
