Birds. 463 



Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos.* A winter visitant. 



Dunlin, Tringa variabilis, and 



Purple sandpiper, Tringa maritima. Both common at all seasons. 



Little sandpiper, Tringa minuta. Breeds on the margins of some 

 of the small lakes in this island. 



Knot, Tringa Canutus. Resident but not common. 



Turnstone, Strepsilas interpres. Resident. 



Lapwing, Vanellus cristalus. Breeds in a few places, but is not 

 common. 



Long-legged plover, Himantopus melanopterus. A bird of this 

 species was observed some years ago by my father, associating with 

 a flock of the following species. 



Golden plover, Charadrius pluvialis. Breeds on exposed moors, 

 congregating in immense flocks in spring and autumn, but especially 

 at the latter season : a few remain on the sea-shore and on the moors 

 during winter. 



Ringed plover, Charadrius Hiaticula. Resident and common. 



Sea pie, Hcematopus Ostralegus. A summer visitant, arriving in 

 the beginning of March, and departing at the end of September. 



Velvet scoter, Oidemia fusca. An uncommon winter visitant. 



Eider duck, Somateria mollissima. Breeds on some of the smaller 

 uninhabited islets or holms. 



King eider, Somateria spectabilis. Sometimes seen : it breeds in 

 Orkney. 



Golden-eye, Clangula chrysophthalma. Appears to breed here, as 

 I have killed it in summer : abundant in winter. 



Long-tailed duck, Harelda glacialis. Common in sheltered bays 

 in winter ; it arrives about the middle of October, and continues in 

 small flocks till the end of April. 



Pochard, Nyroca ferina. A winter visitant. 



Scaup duck, Nyroca marila. Sometimes seen in winter. 



Tufted duck, Nyroca fuligula. A straggler. 



Common stock duck, Anas Boschas. Resident ; it breeds near 

 lakes, and frequents the sea-shore in winter. 



* [I should think there must be an error about these birds, as Actitis hypoleucos is 

 a common summer visitant to Europe, retiring southwards with the rest of the migra- 

 tory birds in autumn, and is not likely to occur in Shetland in winter : and A. macu- 

 laria is an American species, said to have been killed a few times in Europe, and is 

 the representative of our A. hypoleucos, frequenting fresh water during summer, in the 

 United States. — H. Doubledai/]. 



