NOTliJS AND QUERIES. 18^ 



though probably some are to be seen in the fall of the year. — Arthur W. 

 Hext Harvey (Penzance). 



Notes from Shetland. — On March 26th I caught a Song-Thrush 

 {Tiirdus musicus) in the garden. This is the second one, only, I have seen, 

 since coming here in October, 1898. The first one was brought to me alive 

 on Nov. 15th, 1898, and was immediately set at liberty. During the winter 

 six Short-eared Owls {Asio accipitrlnus)\mve resided in the plantation, and 

 it has often amused me to see three or four of them at a time flushed and 

 mobbed by numbers of Hooded Crows, the Owls not seeming to mind 

 much, and quite able to hold their own. On Jan. 11th last I picked up 

 from among some shrubs a mangled specimen of a Long-eared Owl {Asio 

 otus). There was a large wound on the back of the neck and head, 

 probably inflicted by a large Hawk. A White-tailed Eagle {Haliaetus 

 alhicilla) has been frequently seen during the winter. On March 4th a 

 large flock of Rooks {Corvus frugilegus) arrived here. April 11th was the 

 date of their arrival last year. Though I am informed that the Rook breeds 

 in the neighbouring islands of Orkney, I am unable to ascertain that it has 

 ever done so in Shetland, though numbers remained here during last 

 summer. — T. Edmondston Saxbt (Halhgarth, Unst, Shetland). 



Some March Notes from Aberdeen. — The first appearance here of the 

 Curlew [Numenius arquata) was on March 3rd, and on the same date I 

 heard the spring notes of the Golden Plover {Charadrius pluvialis). I also 

 heard a BleaterSmpe (Gallinago ccelestls) bleating in the manner peculiar 

 to these birds on March 6th. The Pied Wagtail (Motacilla Ivgubris) made 

 its appearance at the same time. The Common or Green-billed Gull (Lams 

 canus) came inland on the llth, while a flock of Wild Geese crossed over 

 here on the 20th of the month. A specimen of the Common Redshank 

 (Totanus calidris) appeared on the 22nd. This bird only visits here by 

 turns, and it is doubtful whether it breeds in the neighbourhood, though 1 

 believe that a pair have occasionally done so ; but they only appear occa- 

 sionally in this immediate locality. A prominent observation of the month 

 has been the severe privations of birds caused by the very cold and stormy 

 weather. I noticed a heavy death-rate among Lapwings {Vanellus vulgaris), 

 which fall easy victims to severe weather at this season of the year. In 

 fact, these birds seem very deficient in caution, as any genial weather leads 

 them inland to their proposed summer haunts, and when a snowstorm, 

 such as we have recently experienced occurs, they are reduced to extreme 

 privations, and many succumb. There has been a heavy death-rate here ; 

 the remains of the unfortunate birds are numerous, generally near fresh 

 water, where they had congregated in want of food and shelter. They 

 constitute a forcible example of a species of birds which, although now 



