Birds. 459 



A Fauna of Shetland. By Thomas Edmonston, jun., Esq. 



1 believe there is no district which, to the out-of-door naturalist, 

 affords a more varied and attractive field than the Shetland Islands. 

 And to those especially who delight in observing birds — their differ- 

 ent habits, migration and nidification, — these lone islands of the 

 Northern Atlantic afford numerous facilities. 



In different publications I believe nearly all the animals of Shetland 

 are enumerated, but I am not aware of there being any complete con- 

 nected list of them. To supply this deficiency, I have drawn up the 

 following, in which all the species known to me are enumerated. 



BIRDS. 



Common buzzard, Buteo vulgaris. Resident, but not common. A 

 tew pairs breed in the higher cliffs. 



Golden eagle, Aquila Chrysaetus. Apparently very scarce, and I 

 do not know if it ever breeds ; probably only a straggler. 



Erne or sea eagle, Haliaetus albicilla. Breeds in a few of the most 

 inaccessible precipices, as in Unst, Ronas hill, Foula, &c. 



Osprey, Pandion Haliaetus. Appears only as a straggler. Last 

 spring three or four individuals frequented the Bay of Bunafirth in 

 this island, for some weeks, fishing in the sea ; and a few years ago a 

 pair were seen in the same place at the same season, but I could not 

 ascertain if they remained to breed. 



Kite, Milvus regalis. A straggler ; two individuals have occurred 

 to myself. 



Iceland falcon, Falco Gyrfalco. A straggler : I have seen two fine 

 specimens killed in this island, and one or both are now I believe in 

 the Edinburgh College Museum. 



Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrina. The most generally distributed 

 of our larger rapacious birds. Breeds in cliffs. 



Merlin, Falco Msalon. A straggler. 



Kestril, Falco Tinnunculus. Resident and not very rare. 



Goshawk, Accipiter Palumbarius. Rare, but I believe occasion- 

 ally breeds. 



Sparrow-hawk, Accipiter Nisus. Not common. 



Hen harrier, Circus cyaneus. Not common, and I do not know if 

 it ever breeds. 



Snowy owl, Syrnia nyciea. Resident, and not very rare in this 

 island ; said to breed, and its nest is reported to have been found on 

 a low cliff not far from this place. Frequents barren and stony hills, 



