420 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



steamer on the Isle of Eigg, some male Sheldrakes came in 

 view. Early on May 19th a fine chick of F. ccelebs called me to 

 himself ; he was strong on the wing, and so independent withal 

 that it seemed that he must he a very early bird for the West of 

 Scotland. It was not until June 12th that an old cock Chaffinch 

 fed one of our Skye nestlings under my bed-room window ; and 

 it was only on June 16th that two broods began to pick up the 

 grain of the poultry. 



On May 2 1 st and subsequently I searched to no purpose for 

 an example of my favourite T. torquatus, which had been seen 

 near the house a few days earlier. I also tried in vain to find 

 the nest of a pair of Sheldrakes, which had found some " eligible " 

 cairn near J. S.'s cottage. Mr. John Macpherson, of Sandavore, 

 described a nest which he had taken on the adjacent Castle Island, 

 and kindly offered to show me a Heron's nest on a cliff at the 

 north-west of Eigg. When I visited Eigg some ten or eleven 

 years since the Herons from the mainland habitually patronised 

 the Eigg fishing; but I believe that the species has not nested in 

 Eigg, of recent years at any rate, until the present summer. On 

 May 21st the first brood of E. rubecula flew ; I found a nest of 

 R. cristatus to-day, and, as Mr. Arthur Joss found a nest in 1881, 

 there is every hope that it may increase. I saw this day the de- 

 serted eyrie of the Sea Eagles that until late years bred in Eigg. 



On May 22nd, climbing Scuir, we broke the slumbers of five 

 Meadow Pipits, all of which incontinently gaped their yellow- 

 bordered red throats at the strangers. Five or six Mallards were 

 reposing on the Scuir lochs ; Teal were absent. On May 23rd 

 we felt fairly satisfied that a pair of noisy Terns, hovering about 

 low water, were to be referred to S. macrura, though their lively 

 movements made it difficult to scrutinise their beaks as minutely 

 as I desired to do. 



May 24th being a diluvian day I walked alone to Laig, and 

 found a cheerful little band of Oystercatchers, Gulls, and Sand- 

 pipers feeding on the shore, chiefly about the Laig burn's mouth. 

 " Xit-xit " announced the gay little Dipper that came speeding 

 down a rivulet to meet me, and flitted for a hundred yards out 

 to sea. Among the rocks near the musical sands a brace of 

 plump Ringed Plover ran ; a third, surprisingly fearless, since 

 I approached within ten yards of it at one time without alarming 

 it, joined company with the first two. 



