2 THE ORNITHOLOGIST S GUIDE 



ling from place to place all the time, and saw se- 

 veral of the birds I went with the intention of pro- 

 curing, such as Spoonbills, Purple Herons, Quails, 

 Golden Orioles, several of the Falcon tribe, &c, 

 but was obliged to return without them, highly 

 mortified at my disappointment. 



In the spring of the following year (1835) I 

 again visited Shetland, being my fourth voyage to 

 these islands. 



The appearance of Shetland and Orkney, to a 

 traveller coming from the south, is by no means 

 attractive : still their coasts, which are rocky, un- 

 equal, and in many places very bold, with high 

 headlands projecting a considerable distance into 

 the sea, present a grand and imposing appearance; 

 the hills are bleak, and not unfrequently covered 

 with a thick fog : the wild scenes of nature here 

 predominate, and in some places are highly ro- 

 mantic. The climate is very variable and damp, 

 although, I am informed, not unwholesome to the 

 inhabitants. 



Lerwick is situated about the middle of the 

 mainland, on its eastern side, and immediately op- 

 posite to the island of Bressa. The town is not very 

 ancient, but I am unable to state the time of its 

 foundation. In the year 1633, when Captain Smith 

 visited Shetland, Lerwick was not in existence : 



