Snipe.—A few scattered spring records. No mention again till September, and then decidedly very few all over. Decidedly scarce this autumn. In the West of Scotland (Ardnamurchan), where Woodcock were so plentiful, Snipe were unusually scarce. Only four seen one day, where usually seven or eight couple can be shot in an hour or two.
Records of Curlews few and far between; and none of any special interest, being mostly local movements.
For comparison we here give a table similar to that in last report (p. 33).
| 1886. | July. | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | Jan. 1887. | |
| Curlew, | Entries— | 3 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Woodcock, | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Snipe, | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| Jacksnipe, | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The stations returning in the order of heaviest schedules are—
| 1886. | July. | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | Jan. 1887. | Totals. |
| Pentland Skerries | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Isle of May, | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| N. Unst, | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Girdleness, | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| N. Ronaldshay, | 0 | 2 (curlew) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Dunnet Head, | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Fidra, | 0 | 0 | 1 (curlew) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Per Month, | 3 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 43 |
Thus it will be seen that the comparative strength of the waves are approximately given from each station, Pentland Skerries leading with twenty-four, and Isle of May following with eight, etc.; also, the totals under each month show the rush to have been distinctly in October with fifteen,[7] September and December each with seven. This same system, carried out for each species of bird, appears to us to suggest a pretty fair way of reducing our light reports to system; and further tabular comparison is also suggested as to duration of migration, and weather notes in last report, p. 34, which need not be repeated here at present.
[7] This is borne out almost with all species this season. A concentrated rush in October.
Of Redshanks, Sandpipers, Dunlins, there are very few returns; and only one Dunlin at Pentland Skerries, where they breed, on 27th April. Redshanks appeared at N. Ronaldshay on 12th August. Numbers towards end of September at Pentland Skerries; a few in October, with a number of Purple Sandpipers. A Common Sandpiper at N. Unst on 23d October. Redshanks on 3d December at Pentland Skerries, and number of Purple Sandpipers all day on 19th December.
Laridæ.—Gulls, Terns, Skuas, etc., Kittiwake, Lesser Tern, "Dirty Allen," Black Backed Gull.—The same remarks hold good under Gulls of sorts. The spring and summer records are not of special interest; but vast movements took place in September. "Immense flocks" of Gulls; "numerous flocks" of Kittiwakes and Gulls; Skuas and Terns "every day." Thirty-seven large Gulls passed Girdleness flying south on 15th September; but the "largest flock ever seen" at Fidra was on 14th. Curiously enough there are no records made of movements at Isle of May; but at Pentland Skerries, and again at Fidra, very full notice is taken. No records in November. Only one in December at Pentland Skerries.