THE BIRDS OF FAIR ISLE 111 



logical retrospect of 1910, three immature specimens 

 of this small race of the last species were obtained. 

 Doubtless many others were present, for those captured 

 were not sought for, and were unknown to their captor. 

 These birds were a female obtaiaed on 26th October, a 

 male on 3rd November, and one of doubtful sex on 5th 

 November. This race ' has hitherto proved to be an 

 extremely rare visitor to the British Isles, having only 

 occurred in the counties of Yorkshire and Hertfordshire. 

 Its native haunts are in Northern Russia, Siberia, and 

 Arctic America. 



PvRRHULA PYRRHULA, Northern Bullfinch. — A party, 

 consisting of about a dozen birds, of both sexes, of this 

 Northern European and Siberian Bullfinch, appeared 

 on 5th November 1906, and remained some days. 

 Another and more remarkable visitation occurred in 

 the autumn of 19 10, about the same time as the 

 hordes of Mealy Redpolls appeared. On this occasion 

 the birds were first seen on 24th October, and some 

 remained practically all the winter on the isle, since 

 small numbers are recorded as being present down to 

 1 6th December. 



During these visits the birds were chiefly seen in the 

 cultivated enclosures near the houses, but also here and 

 there in all parts of the island, and were very tame. 



Carpodacus erythrinus. Scarlet Grosbeak. — This 

 was until quite recently supposed to be one of the rarest 

 of the visitors appearing in the British Isles. The first 

 Scottish specimen, a bird of the year, was shot at Fair 

 Isle by Kinnear, from a patch of potatoes, on 3rd 

 October 1906. On 4th September 1908 an adult female 

 was obtained ; and on the 29th an immature male was 



' Acanthis homemanni exilipesi 



