Birds. 101 



Redwing, Tardus iliac us. 



Missel-thrush, Tardus viscivorus. I shot two birds out of a flock 

 of sixteen last May : it seems only an occasional visitant. 



Redbreast, Dandalus rubecula. A straggler. 



Wheatear, Saxicola CEnanthe. An abundant summer visitant ; it 

 arrives generally in March, and departs about the middle of Septem- 

 ber, but some of the young birds linger till the 1st of October. 



Willow wren, Phyllopneuste Trochilus. I obtained a specimen 

 about the middle of April last, but it occurs only as a straggler. 



G old-crested kinglet, Regulus auricapillus. Seems to be resident 

 but is scarce. 



Common wren, Troglodytes europceus. Resident and common. 



Pied wagtail, Mot ac ilia Yarrellii. Occasionally breeds here but 

 leaves us in autumn. 



Grey wagtail, Motacilla Boarula. A few pairs breed. 



Anthus sp. ? I believe two, three, or more species of this genus 

 are resident in Shetland, but I have not yet sufficiently investigated 

 the genus to name them. 



Skylark, Alauda arvensis. Common, but chiefly leaves us in win- 

 ter, very few individuals being seen at that season. 



Corn bunting, Emberiza Miliaria. Common in large flocks during 

 winter, a few pairs remain to breed. 



Snow bunting, Plectrophanes nivalis. A winter visitant ; the ear- 

 liest individuals I have seen were on the 1 6th of September in this 

 year, generally they are not seen till the 1st of November : they con- 

 tinue in straggling flocks until the beginning of May. 



Chaffinch, Fringilla ccelebs. A winter visitant, but rare. 



Goldfinch, Carduelis elegans. An irregular winter visitant. 



Brown linnet, Linota cannabina. A winter straggler. 



Mountain linnet or twite, Linota montium. Resident and very com- 

 mon. This species supplies the place of the preceding in Shetland : 

 it is very destructive to corn in winter, and to turnips, cabbages, &c. 

 in summer. As soon as the latter plants appear above ground, the 

 bird pulls them up and nips off the seed-leaves, and the field remains 

 strewn with the fragments of the young plants. I have often shot 

 them in this act, and found their crops stuffed to the throat with the 

 seed-leaves of Cruciferae. This destructive propensity in the twite, 

 renders regular watching of the turnip-fields during the two or three 

 days the plants are coming up, absolutely necessary. I am not aware 

 of any other bird that has this peculiar habit. The twite collects in 

 very large flocks in winter ; I have killed eighty at three successive 



