NOTES AND QUERIES. 391 



Ornithological Notes from Shetland. — I have much pleasure in 

 recording the fact that a pair of Chaffinches [FrimjUla cmlebs) nested 

 this summer in the shrubbery adjoining my house, and brought out 

 two young ones, which were able to fly on Aug. 24th. The whole 

 family came daily to be fed along with the fowls, and are very tame. 

 A number of Eedstarts {Paiticilla phcenicurus) made their appearance on 

 Sept. 5th. This is somewhat earlier than usual ; they generally 

 arrive here in October. On May 11th, 12th, and 13th a Nightjar 

 (Caprimulgus europmis) was seen by me and by others at Baltasound. 

 The Great Skua (Stercorarius catarrhactes) has increased in numbers 

 greatly during the past few years, there being at least eighty-four 

 birds on this island. It is a pity that something cannot be done to 

 prevent the wholesale destruction of that magnificent bird, the Great 

 Black-backed Gull ( Larus marinus), which is becoming rare here. I 

 cannot ascertain that it ever does much harm, yet our County Council 

 has declared it to be "vermin," and has employed men to destroy it. 



Since writing the above I have been fortunate enough to have 

 brought to me another rare bird, viz. the Great Spotted Woodpecker 

 (Deiidrocopus major). The bird — a young male — was caught by a 

 native in a stubble-field close to his house, situate in the most 

 northern part of this island. It was in a most dilapidated and starv- 

 ing condition. The weather for many days previous to its capture on 

 Sept. 9th had been very wet and stormy, with heavy gales from the 

 east and south-east. Though instances of the occurrence of the Great 

 Spotted Woodpecker have been recorded from Shetland, I have never 

 been fortunate enough to come across one till now. A female Spotted 

 Crake (Porzana maruetta) has been brought to me; it was caught 

 close by Cliff Lock, near here. This is, I think, the fourth time this 

 bird has been recorded from Shetland. — T. Edmondston Saxby (Halli- 

 garth, Baltasound, Unst, Shetland). 



EEPTILIA. 



The Sloughing of Serpents. — In continuation of Dr. Leighton's 

 communication of my notes upon the sloughing of an Indian Python 

 {ante, p. 301), it may be of interest to bring them up to date, as 

 follows : — 



January lith, 1901. — Python showed usual signs of sloughing upon 

 this date, and entered his bath upon the following day, remaining there 

 until the 19th, when he left the water. Re-entered again the same 

 day, and remained until the following day, when he shed the slough in 

 the water in many small pieces. 



