Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/84

58 majority had left the water, and were digesting their meal and preening their feathers on the rocky point at the east end of the opposite island of Lambholm, which for the rest of the day would be black with them. Some were always to be seen close in shore, diving and fishing in quite shallow water, and allowing a near approach. On the cliffs at Galtic large numbers were sitting on the whitewashed ledges, from which the nests had already been blown away. On approaching in a boat we came close to them before they threw themselves from the ledges, and, flying close over our heads, flopped into the water within a few yards of us, there to dive away out of reach of the boat. On Oct. 14th the sound was black with Shags, all busy fishing over an area of several acres; they were coming and going all the morning from this particular area, and probably there was an unusually large shoal of Sillocks (yearling Coalfish) there; several thousand Shags must have been fishing at once. The natives are complaining that the supply of fish is falling off since the Wild Birds Protection Act came into force.

(Ardea cinerea).—One or two were seen every day in the rocky pools along the shore at low tide.

(Bernicla brenta).—Three Brent Geese were put up from a sheltered cove on Oct. 13th, while a north-west gale, which had lasted all the 12th, was still at its height. No Geese had been seen passing over this year up to Oct. 18th.

(Anas boscas).—A few pairs inhabited the loch at Grœmeshall, spending most of their time in the thick reeds, and flying out to sea when disturbed. On Oct. 13th, during the gale, a pair was seen in a sheltered pool on the shore.

(Mareca penelope).—Not identified with certainty, but a pair of birds put up at dusk from a milldam on Oct. 16th were nearly certainly of this species.

(Fuligula ferina).—Several small flocks were often seen off the reeds in the Grœmeshall loch.

(Fuligula cristata).—One Tufted drake was identified with certainty on the Grœmeshall loch on Oct. 9th, and eight other birds with it were almost certainly immature birds of the same species.

(Fuligula marila).—A pair of Scaup were on the loch at St. Mary's Holm the whole time I was there; they were very