16 REPORT ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 



scanty. Earliest July 1st at Isle of May, a large flock of young 

 birds and daily flocks seen, mostly young, to July 29th. On 

 Aug. 7tli a large flock seen coming from the N. ; another on 

 14th. Numbers on Island fall off in September ; by the 23rd 

 but few left. In October only one record at Pentland Skerries, 

 when two struck ; none in November, and two records in Decem- 

 ber, on 17th at Pentland Skerries, and on 25th at Isle of May, 

 when eight were seen. Scarcity of Starlings again (see Report 

 1881, p. 9) noticeable. One species. The only other British 

 species is a very rare British bird — the Rose-coloured Starling. 



CoRviDiE. — I have records from every month in the year but 

 June. I take them in order. In January one record, a large 

 flock of Jackdaws seen flying S.W. at Cromarty (probably a 

 local migration). At Isle of May one Rook on Feb. 12th, flying 

 W., wind S.W. In March, at Sumburgh Head, two Ravens 

 ('* the first seen since the autumn of 1881 " here), flying N. with 

 light S. breeze, and another seen on the 16th in a W. gale. At 

 Isle of May two Rooks seen on 29th (** never many seen here 

 together"), light W. breeze. In April, at Bell Rock, four Rooks 

 seen flying JE. over the sea, wind S.E., April 4th ; at Isle 

 of May, on May 14th, four Carrion Crows and thirty- six Hooded 

 Crows alighted and killed several of Mr. Agnew's lambs ; N.E. 

 gale at the time. At Pentland Skerrias two Rooks on Island, 

 wind fair, S.S.E. In autumn, records from most of the stations 

 sending returns, from July 26th, at Pentland Skerries, to Dec. 

 9th, at same place (Ravens). The only, appearance of a rush 

 was when fifteen Hooded Crows appeared at Pentland Skerries, 

 but this may only have been local. This was on Oct. 12th, 

 however, the time of the vast rush of other species. The 

 Pentland Skerries are regularly visited by Ravens and Hooded 

 Crows, and occasionally by Rooks, which latter may come across 

 the North Sea at times, or may simply make local migrations 

 from Tongue in Sutherlandshire. A few appeared at the Isle of 

 May also at the time of the vast rush. Five species of Corvida 

 noted. Land Notes. — Mr. Garrioch writes : — " 1 obtained a male 

 Jackdaw on Oct. 15th, shot on a peat dyke near Lerwick. Same 

 evening a large flock of Ravens assembled on the shore at 

 Sound (?), attracted by a number of Puffins' and Guillemots' 

 bodies driven ashore by the force of the sea, as also fish of 

 different sorts which had shared the same fate. The Ravens 



