74 
SYLVIADJ^. 
out to capture a passing fly. By exercising great caution, I 
have sometimes approached within a few feet of the bird, and 
watched it picking the green aphides from the sycamore 
leaves. As far as I am aware, it has not yet been observed in 
Orkney. 
THE WHITETHROAT. 
Sylvia cimrea. 
This bird can only be regarded as a straggler, appearing in 
warm summers, but seldom remaining many days. It is never 
long silent, either by day or by night. In the gardens it feeds 
upon various insects, readily taking flies upon the wing ; it is 
also very fond of currants, the red ones being preferred. It 
seldom appears beyond the shelter of the bushes, and several 
times during its brief sojourn with us I have been able to 
identify it only by hearing its well-known voice. Neither this 
nor the following species occurs in Messrs Baikie and Heddle’s 
Orkney list. 
THE LESSER WHITETHROAT. 
Sylvia curucca. 
As might be expected, this species, not being common in 
any part of Scotland, is very rarely met with in the Shetland 
Isles. On the 22nd of Sej)tember 1861, during a strong north- 
east wind, I saw one on the shore at Hammer, in Unst. There 
being no trees or bushes near, it kept to the sunny side of the 
wall, and, scarcely noticing my presence, busied itself in 
searching for food. Once it suddenly darted up to the window 
of a boat-builder’s shed, and seized a large blue-bottle fly. 
On the following morning I saw another specimen, or possibly 
the same bird, at Halligarth, about a mile distant from 
Hammer. Scarcely so shy as S. cinerea, the Lesser Whitethroat 
was c(jually fond of concealment ; although it was often to be 
