Tue ZooLoGtst—OcrToser, 1872. $247 
at the intruder with its sharp bill, and driving it away to the 
breeding-grounds of the next pair of oystercatchers, who took up 
the pursuit and then passed it on, so that the skua was glad to 
make its escape seaward. We found a nest with young just 
emerging from the shell on the 7th of June; the young at that 
stage show no indications of a long bill. Of the many nests that I 
have examined I never noticed one with more than three eggs in 
it, though some authors give four; I believe this to be an error, 
and that the oystercatcher never lays more than three eggs. The 
peasants in Feroe like this bird, because they think it does good 
to the pastures by destroying the slugs and worms; at evening 
time I have seen as many as forty of these birds collected in a 
flock, feeding on the meadows. 
63. Grus cinerea, Bechst. Crane. Native name. Treani.— 
Miiller records one capture of the crane from the North Isles in 
1857. When visiting the island of Svinoe in June, I was shown a 
crane that had been shot by one Hans Hansen, on the 9th of 
May, 1872: it was feeding at the time in a meadow close to the 
village. Iwas much amused when early in the morning, as I lay 
in bed, a man walked into the room, with something in his arms 
bound up in a black shawl; he was followed by some dozen 
persons—men, women and children—who ranged themselves in 
solemn silence round the room; then Hans Hansen, who was a 
comical-looking blade, placed the object on its feet and began to 
unswaddle it: forthwith came out the stuffed crane, with a stout 
cord tied round its middle, by which it had been suspended from 
the cottage ceiling. Hansen told me that the crane was not a very 
uncommon visitor in the spring, and that he had seen it in Svinoe 
several times before. 
64. Ardea cinerea, Linn. Heron. Native name, Hegri.—Is 
only an occasional visitor, and is not known to breed in the Faeroe 
Islands. We saw one flying high overhead when crossing Skuoe 
fiord on the 24th of May. An old male was shot near Saxen on 
» the 3rd of June, 1864. Wolley mentions having seen a single 
example in June, 1849, and Miiller records them as not uncommon 
stragglers. 
65. Botaurus minutus, Linn. Little Bittern.—Herr Miller 
informs me that in 1834 His Excellency F. F. v. Tillerich, 
Governor of Feroe, received a male of this species from the island 
of Stromoe, which lived in confinement for several days. This bird 
was subsequently sent to the museum at Copenhagen. 
