9316 Birds. 
Starlings.—Families of starlings are now joining. The flocks, 
though still comparatively small, are steadily increasing. 
Twite.—Twites are also flocking, but fresh eggs are still to be 
found. 
Ringed Plover.—Ringed plovers are gradually descending from the 
hills and approaching the shore, where as many as a hundred and 
more are already to be seen together. The flocks will not break up 
before next spring. 
Black Guillemot.—Black guillemots are now hatching. They breed 
in crevices of cliffs, among rocks upon the beach, and sometimes 
beneath large stones upon a grassy island. They lay two eggs, which 
are always deposited upon the bare ground. I have a very beautiful 
series of the eggs, but have as yet only succeeded in obtaining one of 
the warm, yellowish variety described and figured by Mr. Hewitson. 
The yolk of the black guillemot’s egg is of a very dark reddish colour, 
so that when an egg becomes stained with it in the process of blowing 
it almost looks as if the shell had become smeared with blood. Young 
birds will very soon be abundant. By sitting quietly near the water’s 
edge and occasionally tossing in a small stone, they may easily be 
attracted quite close to the observer, who will then have an excellent 
opportunity of watching their movements beneath the surface. 
Baltasound, Shetland, July 30, 1864. 
Meadow Pipit.—Very early in August meadow pipits descended 
from the hills, where they had been breeding, and, accompanied by 
their young, appeared in great numbers in the fields, from which the 
hay had just been cleared, and there they fed plentifully upon the fallen 
seeds. I rather suspect that with us this bird is regularly migratory. 
From April to August it is constantly to be met with upon the hills; 
then it descends to the low grounds, remaining there until about the 
middle of September, between which month and the following spring 
I do not remember having met with a single individual. The meadow 
pipit is known here as the “hill sparrow,” while the rock pipit goes by 
the name of “tang sparrow.” Among other varieties of the egg of the 
meadow pipit I have some which are pale grayish white, mottled with 
light bluish gray. 
Curlew.—The first curlews returned to the shore on the 7th of 
August. They seem to remain in families until the winter is nearly 
over, when they assemble in flocks, soon afterwards breaking up and 
pairing. I have not observed them in families during winter in any 
