The Zoologist— Jcly, 18C9. 176t 



fortnight, Iteeping about the corn yards and the small patches of cul- 

 tivated ground surrounding them, never appearing at Baltasound, 

 although at Scaa there is nothing in the shape of ^ bush, and even 

 the very weeds are dwarfed. 



Turnstone. — On the 13th June I obtained a fine pair of turnstones 

 in summer plumage. 



Fulmar and Manx Shearwater. — I hawe found the jaws of small 

 cuttlefish in the stomach of both these birds. (See Mr. Gurney's 

 notes, Zool. S.S. 1483—1603). 



Quail. — On the 2olh September a woman brought me eight eggs 

 of the common quail, which she had just found while reaping a small 

 field of oats. She stated that a few weeljs previously she had ob- 

 served a bird resembling a small landrail in the same field, but as it 

 suddenly disappeared it was supposed to have been killed by sl cat: 

 there were ten eggs in the nest, but two were accidentally broken ; 

 the eight now in my possession are of the usual dingy yellow, blotched 

 and speckled with various shades of umber-brown ; the average size is 

 one inch two lines in length by eleven lines in breadth : all were 

 addled. I have not heard of the occurrenpe of the quail in any part 

 of Shetland. 



Spotted Woodpecker. — After an absence of eight years the spotted 

 woodpecker {Picus major) has again visited our islands. On the 2Gth 

 of September I heard of one at Uyeasound, and within the next ievr 

 days others were seen in all parts of Unst. Many specimens, both 

 males and females, were sent to me, but none were in adult plumage. 

 Upon the occasion of the last visit of this species (Zool. 7932) there 

 was one adult bird, and all that I ej^amined were males. The latest 

 specimens received by me had the bill, tail and claws much worn : 

 one was caught alive and placed in a herring-barrel, but climbed out of 

 it with ease, greatly to the astonishment of the beholders. This flack, 

 like the last, appeared with a steady S.W. wind. 



Hedgesparrow. — On the 5th of October (wind S.E.) I observed a 

 hedgesparrow — a bird until that lime unknown in Shetland — in the 

 garden at Halligarth, 



Greenfinch. — On the 13th of October a flock of many hundred 

 greenfinches arrived at Halligarth. Wishing to obtain specimens 

 without causing unnecessary slaughter, 1 resorted to a very effectual 

 niethod of obtaining a number of living birds from which to make a 

 selection : visiting the roosting places after dark a companion thi"e\y 

 the light of a bull's-eye lantern upon the birds, while I crept softly 



SECOND SEBIES — VOL. IV. 8 N 



