Under date of December 1st, 1886, Mr Georgeson writes to us thus: "I send you my two last schedules, filled up to date of end of October. I received intimation of my removal from this station to Sound of Mull, Tobermory. I expect the 'Signal' daily to take me to my new home. I do not know what sort of a place it is as regards birds, but if you send me schedules I hope to be able to give you a report, however short."
[Note.—In January 1887 Mr Harvie-Brown had an opportunity of interviewing Mr Georgeson, and having a pleasant chat, at Sound of Mull Lighthouse. No schedules have come from it, but the site is not good, and is much hidden by high land to the westward. It gave us much pleasure, however, to make Mr G.'s acquaintance, and thank him for his hearty co-operation hitherto at Monach Isles.
We have pleasure here in fully quoting Mr Georgeson's last schedules from Isles of Monach, where he is succeeded by Mr Joseph Agnew, late of the Isle of May, who we are sure will find Mr Georgeson's notes of interest and value.—J. A. H.-B.]
Mr Georgeson writes as follows: "Since my last report to you ending December 1885, I have had little to add in the way of forwarding your useful work regarding migration, and of the numbers and varieties of sea birds passing or frequenting this station. I notice a visible decrease annually in the numbers of both land and sea birds, a decrease attributed to the island not being so quiet as it was some years ago, before the lighthouse was built, when the birds had the island all to themselves, and there was no one residing on it, but was only used by the natives for grazing purposes. Now the keepers and their families going round the island, the small birds are disturbed at the period of incubation.
"In January and February a few Terns, Snow Buntings, Twites, and Rock Pipits struck the lantern, the wind being south. Of sea birds during those months I observed a few Solan Geese, Scarts, Kittiwakes, Eider Ducks, Teal Ducks, etc.; but as the breeding season came on they left.
"In March a pair of Shielducks visited the island, and after remaining a few days, left, returning again in April (presumably the same pair), and after nesting and having two young ones, the four left in August. No Teal nor Eiders bred here this season.
"In June a large flock of Pictarnies, a few Stonechicks, Ringnecks (?), Sand Larks, and Twites came to the island (but not in such large numbers as in former seasons). Wind from south to west. They left with their young in August, the few I saw leaving flying in a north-easterly direction." [This is somewhat contrary to experiences, and no doubt is due to local peculiarities of the configuration of the Outer Hebrides and land communications with the mainland, but our data appear too scanty to explain this. In this case "the few Mr Georgeson saw flying in a N.E. direction," was with a wind from south to west. Possibly they do this to catch up the Skye coast, or sooner reach the shelter of the east coast of the Outer Hebrides.—J. A. H.-B.] "In June also a pair of Tysties," continues Mr Georgeson, "came to the island, and left with the young in August.
"On the 2d September, wind N.E., all the Pictarnies left the island, flying in a northerly direction." [This again almost seems to indicate a movement towards the north first, before returning south or in a south-easterly direction. Future careful reports on directions of flight here and of winds at the time can scarcely fail to prove of interest.—J. A. H.-B.] "On the 4th of September four Ravens—a male and female with their two young—I observed resting on the island, but, after remaining a short time, they flew in an easterly direction towards the mainland. On the 9th September we had a severe gale—wind variable—and the island is quite deserted by land birds, the only ones remaining being a few Twites. I caught several during the gale dying from exposure. The only sea birds I can see are a few Gannets fishing for food; but they too leave in the evening in the direction of Barra. A few pairs of Curlews and a few Herring Gulls returned with their young. On the 17th September I observed a solitary Heron feeding around the shore; and I witnessed a strange incident in connection with it. On the 22d of the same month, while walking round the island, I heard strange cries coming nearer and nearer from a southerly direction, when the Heron got up a few yards from me, and flew in the direction of the cries, it being hazy at the time, and after the lapse of a few minutes I noticed three coming out of the mist evidently overjoyed at seeing one another. They flew round and round, for some time, and then flew off in a north-easterly direction—the wind E.N.E., fresh.
"On the night of the 4th and 5th October a great number of birds struck the lantern, strange to say the greater number of them being Snipe; but there were also Mavises, Blackbirds, 'Marsh' (i.e., Meadow) Pipits and Rock Pipits, and a few Pictarnies, all seemingly young birds of the year; but I was surprised to see the Pictarnies, as they had all left, and none had been seen about the island for some time; and these have evidently been migrating. The island appears to be quite deserted by land birds in the day time. On the night mentioned the wind was variable—from S.E. to S.W., with drizzling rain. On the 7th October I observed a large flock of Shielducks coming from N.E., and after resting a short time, they got up and flew off south, the wind being at the time S.W." [Report ending 31st October 1886. Here ends Mr Georgeson's notes on Monach.]
[Now Mr Joseph Agnew takes up the tale, and we make no excuse for quoting his letters: "We had to leave the May a day after the time I expected when I last wrote you, and therefore had not time to visit you at Dunipace, when passing Larbert on our way to Oban." On arriving at Monach Mr Agnew expresses surprise at the universal and populous distribution of the Rock Pipit at all stations, S., E., N., and W., where he has been. He then describes the Tystie (or Toistie of Monach), i.e., the Black Guillemot, both in winter and summer plumage. Mr Agnew sends a schedule dating December 3d to 30th, contents of which will be found under species further on, and where Monach is mentioned, any remarks under species may be read as continuous with Mr Georgeson's Diary.—J. A. H.-B.]