88 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



over the islands visited, with the exception of the highest moun- 

 tain tops. They greatly handicapped us in our stalking Whim- 

 brel, though they were generally down and quiet long before the 

 Golden Plover (Charadrius pluvialis) . Always on the look-out, 

 and the slightest movement on our part seemed to disturb all 

 the Oystercatchers in the neighbourhood, their plaintive but 

 musical note echoing and re-echoing throughout the valleys. 

 It was not surprising, at this late date, to find the majority of 

 birds with young, though eggs were found in all stages of in- 

 cubation. One nest contained three eggs of a type I had not 

 previously seen— ground colour light brown, large underlying 

 markings of purplish grey, over markings large and of a rich 

 brown. We did not see a nest containing four eggs, though witb^ 

 this species it is of fairly common occurrence. The nests, placed 

 in fairly sheltered positions, were mere depressions in the fine 

 shingly granite-like stone. There appeared to be a great many 

 non-breeding birds, which we often came across in flocks of from 

 twenty to thirty on the edges of the lakes, or on the small 

 islands. It is very amusing to watch the sly way in which these 

 birds leave their nests or young, appearing to keep an eye on you 

 the whole time they are moving away. 



Bed-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus hyperboreus) . Native 

 name, "Helsareji." — We searched all the most likely places for 

 this bird, though not a single specimen was seen ; neither did 

 we find the nest. Can it be possible that this species has ceased 

 to breed during the last thirty-three years, or probably it has 

 never bred in the two southernmost islands, Sydero and Sando ? 

 The small collection of eggs in the School Museum at Thorshavn 

 does not contain eggs of this species. It is also interesting to 

 note that there does not appear to have been any eggs taken by 

 H. C. Miiller in the Hargitt Collection, acquired by Henry 

 Seebohm, and afterwards presented to the British Museum. 

 (' Catalogue of British Birds' Eggs,' vol. ii. pp. 70-71 ; Brit. 

 Mus., Nat. Hist.) It is evident that Col. Feilden did not 

 find it breeding, though he mentions it as being extremely 

 abundant (Zool. 1872, p. 3251). We questioned one man on 

 Sando ; he evidently knew the bird well, and was certain it did 

 not breed, though he had seen it in spring and autumn. Should 

 say islands visited are hardly suited to its breeding habits. 



