gathered hundreds in a few minutes, and this shell constitutes the chief food of the Whimbrel during its stay on the islands, extending over a period of three or four weeks-sometimes longer, as I have procured birds that were killed in June. The flocks, as a rule, depart after their temporary sojourn about the last of the month, and do not return, except as very rare stragglers, until the first of May following. Writing from Iona, Mr Graham states that the Whimbrel only visits that island in May, arriving in very large flocks about the first, and remaining until the very last of the month, after which they entirely disappear, and are seen no more for the rest of the year, except as single stragglers. They are then very tame and unsuspicious. My friend thus describes its arrival:-"When the wintry storms have at last done roaring, and the sea has subsided into peaceful calm, when the air is genial, and the sky is blue, then the unusual and peculiar cry of the Whimbrel announces the fact that summer is nigh. Its call consists of several rapidly repeated, short and clear whistles, uttered about seven times in rapid succession; whence its name of seven whistler has been derived. This cry is heard as the flocks are flying to and fro high in the air, before alighting on the grasscovered sandy levels which skirt a considerable portion of the shores of Iona, and are at this time of the year enamelled with wild hyacinths, purple orchis, and other wild flowers. Here a flock of some fifty of these long-legged birds, scattered over the bright green turf, forms a very alluring sight, and their comparative heedlessness makes them an easy prey to one accustomed to circumvent the timid and cunning curlew. They do not touch here on their autumnal migration."

The total absence of these birds in many of the outer islands, at a time when one would expect to see them on their return, has been a frequent subject of remark. On the island of Islay, however, as I have been informed by Mr Elwes, they are found in flocks about Loch Indall during the winter and spring, which shows that a few, at least, come south by the same route. I have seen one or two stray Whimbrels in the Clyde estuary early in August, along with small troops of dunlins, back at that season from their breeding haunts on the moors.

The plate represents a small group of these birds at one of their well-known haunts in the Sound of Harris-the view including the islands of Pabbay and Berneray in the distance.

T

ESQUIMAUX CURLEW.

NUMENIUS BOREALIS.

ONLY one specimen of this rare bird has, as yet, been detected in Scotland; it was shot at Durris, near Aberdeen, on 6th September, 1855, by Mr R. Cusack Smith, Esq., and preserved by Mr Mitchell, of Aberdeen, who has sent me word that it was in fine plumage, and in excellent condition. Mr Angus informs me that the species was identified by the late Mr J. Longmuir, who wrote to Mr Yarrell informing him of its occurrence. No other example of this species appears to have been since obtained in any part of the British islands.

THE SPOTTED REDSHANK.

TOTANUS FUSCUS.

HAS not yet been traced to any of the western districts, but on the east coast of Scotland it has frequently been obtained in localities ranging from Haddingtonshire to Caithness. It has been taken in Banffshire by Mr Edward, and in Aberdeenshire by Mr Angus, who has obligingly supplied me with the following notes:—“ An immature specimen was shot on the Old Town Links on the 19th September, 1867, and presented to Mr Mitchell, to whom I am indebted for the opportunity of making a description of the bird, which I now give you in a condensed form. Basal half of the lower mandible, light orange, dusky towards the point; on each side of the mandible, a distinct groove, which is co-extensive with the orange colour; legs and feet, orange; claws, black. Iris, hazel; crown of the head, greyish brown, and slightly spotted. Lores, dark brown, a white line extending from behind the eye to the base of the upper mandible; chin, whitish. Belly, vent, and under tail coverts, dirty white, barred with dusky-the bars more distinct on the vent and under tail coverts. The feathers on the breast resembling those of the common gull in its first plumage. The first quill the longest of the wing, having the shaft white; the primaries, as also the scapulars and the space between the shoulders, purplish; the smaller wing feathers, whitish, and lightest on the edges. Space between the wings, white. Tail beautifully barred

with white, each feather having sixteen bars; the middle feathers rather the longest. Tibial feathers long and downy. The stomach contained the remains of small crustacea, and I found a small fish in the gullet."

In the Orkneys, as I find from a manuscript note in Messrs Baikie and Heddle's work, "one was shot by Mr Strang in Sanday, in September, 1849."

THE COMMON REDSHANK.

TOTANUS CALIDRIS.

Cam-glas. Clabhais feach.

A VERY abundant species. It breeds plentifully in many inland districts of the West of Scotland, usually at a considerable distance from the sea, and sometimes in marshy places as much as a thousand or twelve hundred feet above the sea level. I have found its nest on the higher grounds of Renfrewshire within ten miles of Glasgow. It also breeds at Ardlamont, in Argyleshire, from which locality several specimens of both sexes, in summer plumage, as well as young birds a few days old, have been obligingly obtained for me by Mr J. Gilmour of Glasgow. On the banks of Loch Lomond about fifteen or twenty pairs annually take up their summer quarters in a grass park on the farm of Mid-Ross, where I have seen their nests. In this locality the birds generally select a tuft of ragweed, or other plant, under the shade of which the eggs are deposited without much preparation in the way of nestmaking the few straws on which they are placed looking more like an accidental lining than one designed by the owners. These nests are exceedingly difficult to find. In very dry seasons, when the loch is low, the Redshanks sometimes choose the line of highwater mark for a breeding place, the nests, if they may be called so, being placed on the mass of sticks and straws which are blown on shore by the wind, and huddled together by the action of the little waves. On the east coast of Scotland, I have obtained the eggs of the Redshank in Forfarshire and Aberdeenshire.

The habits of this vigilant and noisy shore bird have been so often described, that it is hardly necessary to repeat them here. Every sportsman accustomed to shore shooting knows the impossibility of stalking either geese or wild ducks, should there happen