ON THE BIRDS OF THE ISLE OF EIGG. 417 



bottom, and one of them was shot by Mr. Scott. Their relative, 

 the Corn Crake, serenades our summer nights, and a pair or two 

 of Moorhens frequent a moss near Laig. Golden Plover breed 

 sparingly in the hills, and the eggs of the Einged Plover may be 

 found on the sands at Laig or near Kiel ; the number of resident 

 birds being increased by autumnal visitors. A few pairs of Lap- 

 wings breed on Castle Island and behind Kiel farm, and have 

 done so for some years. The Oystercatcher nests at several 

 places along the coast; an abundance of fresh springs invites 

 large flights of Woodcock ; the Snipe may be heard " bleating " 

 on the same mosses in early spring. Dunlins (Tringa variabilis) 

 appear in small numbers in August, even before the hordes of 

 Common Sandpipers {Tringoides hypoleucus) take their departure 

 south. It is not unusual to see a few Kedshanks {Totanus 

 calidris) tripping over exposed reefs at low tide, and Curlews 

 {Numenius arquata) are sometimes to be seen in large flocks; 

 neither species is known to nest in Eigg, though present all the 

 summer. It is only in spring that the Whimbrel (N. plueopus) 

 lingers on our shores. Some needless doubts as to the presence 

 of the Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) have found their way into 

 print ; but it is only present in small numbers, nor have we seen 

 more than single birds. The Shag (P. graculus), of course, 

 musters strongly, breeding in a cave at the south end of the 

 island, and occasionally travelling out to the deep waters, fished 

 by fleets of snowy Gannets (Suda bassana). As a visitor, the 

 Heron (Ardea cinerea) exacts heavy black mail from the burn 

 trout; in 1882, the eggs of this bird were taken in the west side 

 of Eigg. 



Though the rocky shores of Eigg are ill suited to meet the 

 requirements of the estuary-loving Sheldrake (Tadorna cornuta), 

 yet stragglers visit the bays on both sides of the island, and one 

 or two pairs nest on the east side. The lochs on Scuir have 

 owned many pairs of Mallard (Anas boschas) to our own know- 

 ledge since 1870. Quite recently the Eider (Somateria mollissima) 

 has frequented the Castle Island and reared one or two broods, 

 enabling us to enjoy the spectacle of a little file of youngsters 

 paddling pluckily after their mother in a considerable swell. The 

 haunts of the Eider are in this case well suited to the Merganser 

 (Mergus serrator); yet we have searched in vain for its nest, and 

 have only met with single and unpaired birds. 



ZOOLOGIST. NOV. 1 888. 2 K 



