The Zoologist— April, 1871. 2539 



tolerably strong upon the wing, yet clamouring loudly for food. 

 The whole family was very shy, and it was only when I crouched 

 behind a distant rock that the feeding process was resumed. In 

 Macgillivray's time this species was unknown in Scotland, yet this 

 is the second occasion on which 1 have observed it in the island 

 of Unst (Zool. S. S. 689). I am quite at loss to account satis- 

 factorily for the presence of young birds here. For some weeks 

 previously there had not been an hour's rough weather, so that 

 they could not have been driven over, and it is almost impossible 

 that they could have crossed the sea voluntarily, the Shetlands 

 lying a hundred miles at least from the nearest land. There was 

 nothing in the shape of a bush in the neighbourhood, and I can 

 only imagine that, if the brood was really hatched there, it must 

 have been placed among the long heather which fringes the low, 

 rugged cliffs. About a month afterwards, observing some dead 

 bees fastened among the twigs of a willow hedge at Halligarth, 

 I watched the spot, and soon discovered a young shrike, in all 

 probability one of the Barrafirth three, but the others I never saw 

 again. It remained about the garden for nearly three weeks, and 

 then disappeared during the night. 



Dotterel. — The dotterel is another addition to our Shetland list. 

 About the middle of June I observed one among some golden 

 plovers upon the hill of Crushafiel, immediately above Baltasound. 

 Never having seen this species alive, I got a neighbour to come 

 out and shoot it for me. It proved to be an adult male. 



Rosecoloured Pastor. — This rare species has again visited us. 

 On the 27th of July I saw a beautiful male in full plumage, flitting 

 about a stony field near Ernesdaal. It was very shy, and although 

 it kept close to the walls, I was for a long time unable to get a 

 shot at it, a broken arm preventing me from shooting without 

 resorting to the shabby expedient of resting my gun. The attempt 

 deservedly resulted in a severe "kick" and the escape of the bird, 

 I am glad to say, without injury, or even the loss of a feather. It 

 remained in the neighbourhood just nine days, feeding under the 

 shady sides of the walls, and as night approached retiring to the 

 garden for shelter. During the whole time of its slay it still con- 

 tinued very shy, when disturbed seldom flying less than three 

 hundred yards before alighting. Sometimes it was seen feeding 

 among cows, and when starlings happened to be there also, ming- 

 ling with them : though it would rise with the flock, it invariably 



