Scolopacidæ.—The Woodcock is always interesting, so we take him in detail. It is a curious circumstance that there is scarcely an entry in the Report—or at most only two or three. Thus:—
Never appeared till November:—on the 1st, two ("later than last year") found benighted in a S.S.E. gale with rain at Pentland Skerries, and the other next day. Again on the 11th, one; wind N.W., cloudy; and one at N. Ronaldshay; light E, and clear.
December.—Only three entries—10th, 12th, and 16th, at Pentland Skerries and at Dunnet. Three birds.
Snipe, equally scarce with the last. One entry in March, and none again till 3d of November, and no more afterwards.
Curlew has many entries, yet not so many as in 1886; but the Curlew can only be considered as a very partial migrant, and entries are mostly of local interest only.
We do not repeat the comparative tables given under Curlew, Woodcock, Snipe, and Jacksnipe, which we gave in 1886 Report (8th Report, p. 24).
Of Redshanks, Sandpipers, Dunlins, there are few entries of any value in working out our subject, and these are almost entirely from N. Unst and Pentland Skerries in autumn. The Dunlins arrived at Pentland Skerries at their breeding haunts on 29th April.
Laridæ.—April.—Numbers of Kittiwakes all day, at Pentland Skerries, on 30th April.
May.—Numbers of Kittiwakes and Gulls on 1st at N. Ronaldshay; again numbers on Pentland Skerries on 29th, and Black-Backed Gulls on 26th. Terns arrived at Pentland Skerries on 12th April. [Note.—Both Arctic and Common Terns breed on the Pentland Skerries.—J. A. H.-B.].
July.—Terns left Pentland Skerries on 27th, "which is earlier than usual." Gulls still seen about the Rock at N. Ronaldshay this month.