SKUAS IN THE SHETLAND ISLANDS. by, 
Petrel on more than one. The feature of those northern seas is 
the presence of the Black Guillemot, or “ Tystie,” and, as 
everyone knows, the cliffs are thronged with the usual Gulls, 
Guillemots, Razorbills, and Puffins. The only species which 
I had never seen before was the Long-tailed Duck or ‘ Calloo,” 
which flew past our boat in Sommer-voe; it is an unmistakable 
bird, and there can be no doubt that it breeds in the unfrequented 
lochs of Yell and the neighbourhood. I also had the good 
fortune to see an adult Great Northern Diver, on the wing strange 
to say, and there can be no doubt that this species also breeds in 
Yell, whence Dr. Saxby obtained eggs. Just before I left Lerwick, 
on 28th July, one was brought in alive by the small steamer 
which visits the northern islands, and although I did not see 
it myself, those who did, and who told me about it, are, or ought 
to be, quite aware of the difference between the “‘ Immer-goose ” 
and the “ Rain-goose,” as the Red-throated Diver is called. 
I cannot say I believe in the reported nesting of the Golden 
Eagle in Bressay alluded to in ‘ The Zoologist,’ 1879, p. 461; the 
story did not bear sifting, nor was the evidence satisfactory as to 
the nesting, in 1879, either on Bressay or on Noss, of the White- 
tailed Eagle, which, however, did breed there two or three years 
ago. The boatmen and others, who pretended to know so much 
about the breeding of both these species, were not to be induced 
by a reward to point out even the used, and, by that time, 
abandoned nest, and I did not see an Eagle of any kind during 
my frequent visits. Nor did I see the Peregrine Falcon, but the 
skeleton of a Richardson’s Skua was picked up, the breast-bone of 
which had a notch bitten out of the centre, the mark a Peregrine 
generally leaves. Dr. Saxby expressed a doubt whether the 
Peregrine would not interfere with the introduction of Grouse, 
which do fairly well in Orkney, but the plague of Hooded Crows 
is a far greater drawback, and until their numbers have been 
systematically diminished by shooting and by laying down poisoned 
eggs, it is useless to hope for any success. 
Amongst the Waders the most interesting species which I 
found breeding was the Whimbrel, whose clear rippling note first 
attracted my attention when looking for young Skuas on Noss, 
but in Yell and some of the other islands it is tolerably abundant. 
A pair of Turnstones were seen on the shore of one of the 
smaller northern islands, the one, I believe, where Dr. Saxby 
