SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



205 



watched him sail over, with short intervals of 

 flight, to the heather, where he alighted to gaze 

 upon me. Only for a few moments, however, did 

 he rest, then mounting again he sailed down into 

 the valley, where, after a survey of the ground 

 from a height, he alighted. 



Turning up the hillside to vary my proceedings 

 somewhat. I traversed an area of short thick 

 heather, where the peaty soil was cracked in many 

 parts. My supposition that starlings were breed- 

 ing in these cracks was confirmed by the continual 

 uproar of the birds and by my finding an egg-shell. 

 The utter desolation of this region completely 

 astonished me, though the extent and variety of 

 the scenery displayed from various points on the 

 crest somewhat atoned for this deficiency. The 

 fine bracing wind about the hill-top was delight- 

 fully refreshing after my long tramp in the valley. 

 I roused a pair of grouse that betrayed no signs 

 of having young, and put up another cock and a 

 single meadow pipit. I heard also a strange cry 

 which 1 conjectured rightly enough — as I was able 

 to prove a few days later — to come from the hen 

 harrier, another species on which I was intent. 

 No other life was about the hill-top, and my wild 

 efforts to rouse harriers only resulted in a vacant 

 stare from the grazing sheep. I afterwards 

 learned that two nests — probably the produce of 

 the same pair of harriers — had been taken there 

 this season. 



The advance of day compelling me to end my 

 outward journey here, I again descended into the 

 valley occupied by the owls, and at a brow of the 

 hill I roused three peeweeps that began, in their 

 customary manner, to dispute my rights of passage. 

 Their uproar disturbed a short-eared owl from a 

 bunch of rushes, and I watched this latter bird 

 sometimes sail, sometimes fly, in his passage across 

 the \ alley. Ere he had well alighted, a second 

 owl rose nearer me, also from rushes, and flew off. 

 I marked the spot, and carefully searched both 

 quarters, but in vain. I did my utmost to find an 

 •. ,t was compelled to proceed homewards 

 amidbt the constant derision of the peeweeps. 

 Occasionally golden plovers were at band, and 

 once a pair of twites gambolled on a fence beside 

 me, whilst the corncrake was lustily calling from a 

 ,ear ibe bridge of Stenness, and a single 

 blackbird was frequenting a clump of trees within 

 the ; 



46, Cambtrland Stmt. Edinburgh. 



Tin TUKBBIDGB Wl BY AND 



. as usual, full of enter- 

 incil have arranged a ■ 

 rea/lir; b the mem 1 ontri 



tribute* 

 tiiper ■! member joining 



thus direct* the method and class of reading 



library 

 at half -pi rail. 



NOTICES BY JOHN T. CARRINGTON. 



Alt Illustrated Manual of British Birds. By 

 Howard Saunders, F.L.S., F.Z.S., etc. (Second 

 Edition). In 20 parts, each with about 40 pp. Svo, 

 and 20 illustrations. Part i. (London : Gurney 

 and Jackson, November, 1S97.) is. per part. 



Ornithologists are to be congratulated that the 

 demand for this, the best of all manuals of British 

 birds, necessitates a new edition. Its issue shows 

 that the students of our birds are numerous as 

 ever, and that they appreciate Mr. Saunders' 

 work. It is quite a marvel of cheapness, when we 

 consider the excellence of the illustrations. Thebulk 

 of these are identical with those of Yarrell's large 

 " History of British Birds," fourth edition. In the 

 second edition of Saunders' Manual will be found 

 several new blocks illustrating additions to our 

 bird fauna ; one of them we reproduce by permis- 

 sion of the publishers, representing Pallas's 



Pallas's Willow- Warhler, 



willow-warbler, a rare bird recently noticed in 

 Britain for the first time. Its occurrence was 

 referred to in Science-Gossip for March (p. 2S4) 

 in this year. As this manual of birds is so well 

 known, it is hardly necessary to give a detailed 

 description of the work ; but it will be remembered 

 that two pages only are devoted to each species of 

 bird known to have occurred in our islands. The 



fiages include the illustration and quite sufficient 

 press for firsl identification, with particulars 

 oi the range and previous records of each species. 



In fact ii 1 quit) surpri how much information 



is got into these two pages, I 'art i. opens the 



vith the Turdinae ; the firsl being our hand- 



tle-thrush, Then I' Jlo ■ the other 



, i hati . redi tarts, and the 



'<:commenc Fhe issue of the second 



ol aundei " W intial ol Briti h 1 lirds " i'- 



an opportunity nol to bi neglected by lovers oi 



iniry and bird life, .'11 oi vhom 1 Id gel 



ippeari 



