THE BIRDS OF 8CILLY. 337 



wings, and Fieldfares. They quietly passed on, but left many 

 dead behind. The Turnstone, in 1841, was evidently a rare bird 

 at Scilly in the month of May, as the unidentified ornithologist, 

 already referred to, whose notes were preserved in Carew's ' Sur- 

 vey,' says: — "A Turnstone in poor condition was brought to me 

 on May 20th — a very unusual date. I was told they were usually 

 common in autumn, and that flocks were sometimes seen crouch- 

 ing together on boulders beside the sea-coast in winter." In 

 1863 it was one of the commonest of shore birds in autumn and 

 winter, and a few were believed to stay all through the summer. 

 By 1871 flocks of birds in immature plumage were common 

 throughout the summer months, and adult birds had been seen 

 in the third week of May. It is now remarkably abundant all 

 the year round, and Clark believes it has bred there lately, as he 

 has obtained three eggs and part of a shell in local collections, 

 has handled the skins of two young birds shot there on July 23rd, 

 and, along with Jackson, has seen birds in adult plumage on St. 

 Mary's during the first two weeks of July. Jackson and G. J. 

 King — the latter so well known for his charming photographs of 

 bird-life on the islands — both say they have seen the bird nesting 

 on the sands, and have taken its eggs. As Clark, however, has 

 not yet found a nest, he prefers to defer a full discussion of the 

 subject to a later date. The Oystercatcher is abundant round 

 the coast and on the rocky islets throughout the whole of the 

 year, and breeds in considerable numbers. Like the Curlew and 

 various sea-birds with which it associates, it delights to rest in 

 flocks on some low ridge of rock till compelled to leave by the 

 rising tide. Occasionally as many as two hundred of these 

 most beautiful of all shore birds have been counted in a single 

 flock. 



The Grey Phalarope is for the most part a rare autumn and 

 winter casual. One was obtained on the 13th, and another on 

 the 23rd of October, 1857 ; one on Sept. 14th, 1870 ; one on 

 Jan. 7th, 1893 ; and one on Dec. 6th, 1902. In December, 

 1866, however, when Phalaropes were abundant along the south 

 coast of Cornwall, a flock of about seventy appeared on the north 

 end of Tresco. In November, 1905, a party of five came in near 

 Old Town, St. Mary's. The Eecl-necked Phalarope is still more 

 Beldom met with. The first example obtained at Scilly was 

 Zool. 4th ser. vol. X., September, 1906. 2 D 



