54 THE ORNITHOLOGIST'S GUIDE 



which are the scarcest of the tribe in Shetland with 

 the exception of the Skua Gull. 



I had now procured specimens of almost all the 

 birds to be found in Shetland excepting the Stormy 

 Petrel^ and not wishing to leave the country with- 

 out obtaining some of them also, I proceeded on the 

 26th to Scallaway, the second town in point of im- 

 portance in Shetland : it is situated on the west side 

 of the mainland and is five miles from Lerwick, 

 I took with me two men to carry the luggage, and 

 arrived there at night. Having in the early part 

 of the summer seen several of the Stormy Petrels 

 n)'ing about in the neighbourhood of some islands 

 lying a few miles off Scallaway, I determined upon 

 visiting them, as I considered that would be the 

 most likely means of obtaining some specimens*, 

 more especially as it was nowtheir breeding-season. 

 In the morning I landed on the islands, which we 

 diligently searched for a length of time without 

 success. I was about leaving the fourth island, on 

 which, near the beach, many loose stones were 

 collected, when I was arrested by a cry coming* 

 from among the stones, and knowing it to proceed 

 from some bird the note of which I was a stranger 

 to, I summoned our force and proceeded to remove 

 them in such a manner as to leave no place of 

 retreat* 



