58 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



majority had left the water, and were digesting their meal and 

 preening their feathers on the rocky point at the east end of the 

 opposite island of Lamhholm, which for the rest of the day would 

 be black with them. Some were always to be seen close in shore, 

 diving and fishing in quite shallow water, and allowing a near 

 approach. On the cliffs at Galtic large numbers were sitting 

 on the whitewashed ledges, from which the nests had already 

 been blown away. On approaching in a boat we came close to 

 them before they threw themselves from the ledges, and, flying 

 close over our heads, flopped into the water within a few yards of 

 us, there to dive away out of reach of the boat. On Oct. 14th 

 the sound was black with Shags, all busy fishing over an area of 

 several acres ; they were coming and going all the morning from 

 this particular area, and probably there was an unusually large 

 shoal of Sillocks (yearling Coalfish) there ; several thousand 

 Shags must have been fishing at once. The natives are com- 

 plaining that the supply of fish is falling off since the Wild Birds 

 Protection Act came into force. 



Common Heron (Ardea cinerea). — One or two were seen every 

 day in the rocky pools along the shore at low tide. 



Brent Goose (Bernicla brenta). — Three Brent Geese were 

 put up from a sheltered cove on Oct. 13th, while a north-west 

 gale, which had lasted all the 12th, was still at its height. No 

 Geese had been seen passing over this year up to Oct. 18th. 



Wild Duck (Anas boscas). — A few pairs inhabited the loch at 

 Grcemeshall, spending most of their time in the thick reeds, and 

 flying out to sea when disturbed. On Oct. 13th, during the gale, 

 a pair was seen in a sheltered pool on the shore. 



Wigeon (Mareca penelope). — Not identified with certainty, 

 but a pair of birds put up at dusk from a milldam on Oct. 16th 

 were nearly certainly of this species. 



Pochard (Fuligula ferina). — Several small flocks were often 

 seen off the reeds in the Grcemeshall loch. 



Tufted Duck (Fuligula crutata). — One Tufted drake was 

 identified with certainty on the Grcemeshall loch on Oct. 9th, and 

 eight other birds with it were almost certainly immature birds 

 of the same species. 



Scaup (Fuligula marila). — A pair of Scaup were on the loch 

 at St. Mary's Holm the whole time I was there ; they were very 



