THE BIRDS OF ST KILDA 215 



October 191 1, and proved to /be a specimen of the 

 northern and eastern European race, P. c. abietina. 



* AcROCEPHALUS PALUSTRis, Marsh- Warbler. — The 

 appearance at St Kilda of this species was a great 

 surprise, as it only occurs regularly in Britain as a local 

 summer visitor to a few counties in Southern England. 

 On 6th September 19 10, this stranger was disturbed in 

 a patch of oats, flew a short distance, and alighted in a 

 mass of nettles, where it was secured, and proved to be 

 a female Marsh- Warbler. This is the first example 

 known to have occurred in Scotland, and St Kilda is 

 the most northern and western locality in which the 

 bird has been observed in Europe. 



TuRDUS Musicus, Song-Thrusk. — MacGillivray 

 (p. 57) tells us that during his visit in July 1840, he 

 "often heard the loud clear song of the Thrush [Turdus 

 musicus) resounding along the hillsides " ; and Milner 

 (p. 2061) mentions it among the birds that came under 

 his notice on 14th June 1847. The Rev. Neil 

 Mackenzie (p. 76), who was minister on the island 

 from 1829-1843, has recorded in his notebook that this 

 species is a regular winter visitor. It had not, however, 

 put in an appearance before my departure in 19 10 or 

 1911. 



Turdus iliacus, Redwing. — Dixon (p. 80) states, but 

 without affording any authority, that this species is seen 

 on migration in May and September. 



The above statement may be correct. In 1910 we 

 saw the first bird of the season on 20th September. 



In 191 1 the Redwing was first observed on 23rd 

 September, and a few were seen later in the month. 

 Considerable arrivals took place on 3rd October, after 

 which date it was present in numbers, in various parts 



