I am also indebted to many other persons for interesting notes from various localities, bearing upon the subject of migration. A selection of these I will take notice of in the following report separately, under the head "Notes," as I consider it advisable to keep the one set of observations apart from the other. Further notice of similar observations will be found in my "Third Report on Scottish Ornithology," now preparing for press and partly read to the Natural History Society of Glasgow, on Jan. 25th, 1881, being a continuation of Reports read to the same Society, in 1880 and 1879, and relating to 1878-79, 1879-80. Many data will be found in these Reports having close and intimate connection with the Migration Reports proper.
As nearly as can be ascertained, notes have been kept by our east-coast reporters upon nine species of waterfowl and thirty species of land birds.
The new feature of this Report is the separate treatment of the spring and autumn migrations, owing to the greater length of time over which our reporters made notes. Another new feature is the obituary—or list of deaths—at the different stations.
In my Report on the East Coast of Scotland, however, I have not thought it necessary to keep the spring migration distinct, owing to the comparative scarcity of records on our East Coast, but in my West Coast Report I do so. Nor have I given an obituary for either coast, as the numbers on all the Scottish coasts is inappreciable. As will be seen further on, it is a very different matter at the low-lying lanterns of the light-vessels off the English coast. At the same time I sufficiently distinguish between the spring and autumn records, and where large numbers of birds are killed I make mention of it under the separate species.
SEPARATE REPORT ON EACH SPECIES.
I have purposely in one or two instances varied the arrangement of the statistics under the species,—as, for instance, under the Corvidæ,—thinking that possibly such variation may place in juxtaposition certain fresh considerations or combinations in our study, or place these in a clearer light for future comparison.
Falconidæ.—Returns from N. Unst, Whalsey Skerries, Sumburgh Head, Pentland Skerries, and Isle of May, which, be it noted, are all insular localities. On Sept. 3rd one Sparrowhawk, chasing small birds, seen on Pentland Skerries at 9 a.m., fresh S.W. and haze. This appears the earliest date recorded on which the Raptores visit the islands on predatory raids in autumn. The only record at Isle of May was in the month of May, when two "falcons" were seen. On Sept. 13th a Rough-legged Buzzard (?) flew about all day on Whalsey Skerries, wind light S.E. and haze; and on Sept. 30th a "Glede Hawk" (from internal evidence probably a Peregrine) flew about; wind fresh N.E. and clear; seen at 8 a.m. On Oct. 3rd a "falcon" visited the Pentland Skerries, and flew round for a time; seen at 3 p.m., wind strong N. and haze; and on the same date and in the same place, two Sparrowhawks at 1.30 p.m. During Oct. 14th, 16th, and 17th, the so-called "Glede Hawks" remained preying upon Snow Buntings, and were joined by a Sparrowhawk (or Merlin ?) on the 17th, wind fresh N. to W., to strong N.W. At Sumburgh Head, Nov. 28th, a "Brown Hawk" was noticed at noon, during S.W. wind, with haze and rain; and a "large Grey Hawk," seen flying S., with fresh N. breeze, at 8.30 a.m.
Notes.—It is recorded that a White-tailed Eagle struck on Girdleness lighthouse a few years previous to 1853 ('The Naturalist,' 1853, p. 139). At North Unst the following species are noted as resident:—Three species of Gulls, probably Kittiwake, Herring Gull, and Great Black-backed Gull. Iceland Gulls appear from October till March, but were scarcer this year than any which Mr. Burnett remembers. The Black Crow (?), Hooded Crow, Snipe, Starling, Titlark, and House Sparrow are included amongst residents. An occasional White-tailed Eagle is seen, and several kinds of hawks. Of all the sea-birds the Petrel is the only one that strikes on the lanterns. As it is usually in the morning when the rock-birds are first seen on arrival in spring, the time of their arrival is supposed to be during the night, and the direction of their coming is unknown.—(Signed, Robert Burnett.) Mr. Burnett adds, "The only rare bird I have heard of in this neighbourhood was a Hoopoe." I paid a visit to the Isle of May on June 24th, 1880, and made Mr. Agnew's personal acquaintance. During a hurried visit of less than two hours my companion and myself rowed round the cliff portion of the island, and also landed and walked over a considerable part of the lower-lying portion of at the N.W. end. We saw the following species engaged in incubation:—Oystercatchers, Eider Ducks, Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes, and Rock Pipits. We searched in vain for any species of Tern; a single Redshank was seen. Mr. Agnew's son saw a Black Guillemot a few days before, and Mr. J. H. Buchanan, who was out in the S.S. 'Fiery Cross' the previous Thursday, "thought" he saw one also. The Agnews cannot say if they breed there or not, but their being seen there occasionally would make it worth while, if time permitted, to search carefully the suitable clefts and caverns in the lower rocks. It was reported to me that the sea-birds have increased greatly on The May since the Sea-birds Bill came into force. The eggs, however, are still taken wholesale by fishermen from the Fife coast and elsewhere.
Owls.—The only record occurs at Auskerry, where one was seen after midnight on Oct. 21st, and remained about for some time; exact species not noted.
Note.—Curiously enough, on the same date, numbers of Short-eared Owls were to be seen in the flesh in the birdstuffers' shops in Edinburgh. This shows the value of even single records at lighthouse stations, as, were it not for the above Auskerry record, the other fact would stand alone.