Ardeidæ.—Only one record given at Portpatrick, Nov. 6th, N.W. gale, flying N.; but there can be no doubt of the greater frequency of their visits all through the season.
Anatidæ.—Wild Geese at Butt of Lewis, April 24th, when forty seen flying S.W., and on 29th fourteen seen flying S.E.; wind on both days fresh S. and rain. In August, at Monach, two flying N.W., strong N. wind; on 30th and on 27th, two flying S., at Rhinns of Islay, light E. In October, various flocks of sixteen, eighteen, twenty-four, &c., with general E. winds, coming and going in different directions at Monach, mostly flying N.W., and at Kyleakin, but flying S.W. on Oct. 12th. Also in November, between 3rd and 6th, at Rhinns of Islay and Loch Ryan, small parties flying S., with different winds A few records in December also, at Monach. Records of Eider Ducks on Sept. 22nd and 27th, at Dhuheartach, males and females in equal proportions; eighteen and twenty-four Eiders at Dhuheartach on Dec. 3rd and 10th, males and females. A few "Pintail Ducks" (?) at Monach on Nov. 13th, and one female shot. Swan: four at Corsewall, flying N.E., on Sept 27th, fresh S.E. Land Notes.—Black Scoters abundantly. Velvet Scoters sparingly, but Scaup Ducks rarely seen on Solway Firth during June and July. Common Scoter abundant in August; several Velvet Scoters seen. Sept. 23rd, about fifty Wild Geese, finally flew away over sea to S.S.E.; Oct. 1st, five Geese flew over Douglas Hall; 2nd, more seen; twenty-four Geese seen on Oct, 14th (J. J. Armistead).
Rallidæ.—Corncrake at Rhinns of Islay, first seen on May 19th; at Dhuheartach one seen on the rock on May 8th (never seen before here by Mr. Ewing); and at Kyleakin one heard on May 31st. Directions of wind not given.
Charadriadæ.—At Rhuvaal, three to four dozen young and old Golden Plovers on Oct. 6th, and a few seen at Monach on Nov. 13th, and a good many scattered over the islands at Monach on Dec. 14th. Lapwings are also mentioned once or twice.
Scolopacidæ, Woodcock.—The rush barely indicated at Monach (odd bird) Oct. 11th; Lismore (two killed), Oct. 8th; and one bird at Sound of Mull, Nov. 5th. Snipe also very slight movement, principally at Rhinns of Islay. Of Curlew, many records from Aug. 12th to Dec. 16th. Rush appears, if any took place, to have been in September. Whimbrels are reported "very scarce," only two records on July 21st, and on Aug. 15th, at Skerryvore. There are also a few spring records of Curlews, from February to June. Land Notes.—Aug. 8th, saw two Greenshanks on Solway (J. J. Armistead, Esq.) It appears possible that this bird breeds not far from the Solway, from other information I have gained.—J. A. H. B. Four Turnstones seen Aug. 31st, Solway (auct. cit.); also two hundred Bar-tailed Godwits and thirty or forty Golden Plovers. No Knots yet.
Laridæ.—Terns arrived at Rhinns of Islay on May 16th; at Dhuheartach on May 12th; on Monach Islands, May 15th. They were last seen at Skervuile on Sept. 6th. They leave Butt of Lewis about Aug. 12th. They passed Lismore at night, striking lantern, on Aug. 13th, and on 14th more, accompanied by Larks. Of Gulls, "Boatswain Birds" were seen on June 21st, at MacArthur's Head, and there are records of them at Skervuile, along with Kittiwakes and Black-headed Gulls, from May 1st to 9th. Two "Dirty Allans" amongst a large flock of Gulls, at Butt of Lewis on July 10th; Iceland Gull, flying south, on Oct. 11th at Kyleakin; and great numbers of Kittiwakes at Skervuile, on Oct. 3nd and 22nd. Land Notes.—Common Terns at nesting haunts in Kirkcudbrightshire, but no eggs laid by May 17th (auct. J. J. Armistead, Esq.) By Aug. 12th Terns had left their nesting-ground (auct. cit.)
Colymbidæ.—Great Northern Diver seen at Kyleakin, near the lighthouse, on May 10th, light E. wind; again on June 19th, light W. wind. In autumn, at Monach, four seen, light S.E. wind, rain, and fog; two flying S. at Corsewall on Nov. 21st, and two, resting, on 22nd; two flying "towards N. Uist" (i.e. N.E.), at Monach, on Dec. 15th, and one flying east at Corsewall on Dec. 16th.
General Remarks.
A vast migration took place this year upon our E. coast, the heaviest waves breaking upon the entrance to the Firth of Forth, at the Isle of May station, and again at Pentland Skerries. Bell Rock came in also for a share, though apparently, from the schedules, a much smaller one than at the Isle of May. The easterly winds prevailed all along our E. coast, generally strong to gales, and the successions of south-easterly and easterly gales in October, between the 8th and 23rd, occurring as they did, just at the usual time of the principal migration, brought vast numbers of land-birds to our shores. From Faroe in the north to the extreme south of England this is found to have been the case, but the usual blank on our Scottish coast occurs, over a large extent of shore-line, from Dunnet Head, in Caithness, all the way to Bell Rock. From all this great stretch of coast, embracing no less than ten lighthouse stations, I have only two schedules returned. These two schedules respectively are from Cromarty, a closely landlocked station, and the other from Chanonry, a still more completely landlocked station,—both absolutely sheltered, as it were, from the track of the great S.E. and easterly gales; I may therefore say that I have not a single statistic of direct value, between Dunnet Head and Bell Rock, as regards the general migration. My thanks are none the less due, however, to Mr. Ritson, of Cromarty, and to Mr. McGill, of Chanonry, as their notes will, without doubt, prove of value if continued, and will assist us in arriving at conclusions regarding more local movements of birds, dependent upon food and shelter, which may prove none the less interesting because of their connection with landlocked positions. The absence of returns from this great stretch of coast-line is much to be deplored, and at present I am perfectly unable to state whether it is due entirely to absence of birds at all these stations every season, which, however, I can hardly think is the case, or if it is lack of interest at some of these stations. If the latter, we can only say we regret that we have failed to arouse sufficient interest in our subject. I cannot pass over this without the one further remark, that if the lighthouse-keepers at these stations would only return the schedules, with even a negative statement, every year, it would facilitate our work. The absolute knowledge, that year after year no birds are seen at these stations would be as valuable to us as positive data. By a chance visit to Buchan Ness—one of these stations—on the Aberdeenshire coast, I learned that a Manx Shearwater was once captured at the lights, and saw the specimen, and thus it was added to the Aberdeenshire fauna, besides being an extremely rare visitant to any portion of the E. coast. Had this been returned in a schedule, I would have been doubly grateful for dates and circumstances of the occurrence at the time. While I am on the subject of addressing our reporters let me once more earnestly request them, in every case where possible, to state the directions in which migratory flocks of birds are seen flying. This would greatly facilitate our deductions from year to year; and especially would I ask attention to this at all the more northerly stations, and all the west coast stations.
Perhaps not the least remarkable migration was that of Regulus cristatus (the Golden-crested Wren), extending in one broad wave from Faroe southward along the whole coast, coming with S. to S.E. to E. winds, reaching the Scottish stations by Aug. 27th, and continuing to November 12th, but apparently not reaching Faroe till Oct. 21st, when a great rush took place. It is worthy of remark also that they were unusually abundant at Isle of May in spring, a rush taking place in March, and of females on March 10th. The stream in autumn, on the Scotch coasts, lasted from 8th to 23rd, but did not begin in Faroe till 20th or 21st. A vast general rush of many other species reached our coasts also between Oct. 8th and 23rd. The great waves of Turdidæ scarcely seem to have reached Faroe, as we have only a few records of them thence in December, and the same remark may be held to apply to many other species mentioned.