Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 5 (1901).djvu/213

Rh though probably some are to be seen in the fall of the year.— (Penzance).

Notes from Shetland.—On March 26th I caught a Song-Thrush (Turdus musicus) in the garden. This is the second one, only, I have seen, since coming here in October, 1898. The first one was brought to me alive on Nov. 15th, 1898, and was immediately set at liberty. During the winter six Short-eared Owls (Asio accipitrinus) have resided in the plantation, and it has often amused me to see three or four of them at a time flushed and mobbed by numbers of Hooded Crows, the Owls not seeming to mind much, and quite able to hold their own. On Jan. 11th last I picked up from among some shrubs a mangled specimen of a Long-eared Owl (Asio otus). There was a large wound on the back of the neck and head, probably inflicted by a large Hawk. A White-tailed Eagle (Haliaëtus albicilla) has been frequently seen during the winter. On March 4th a large flock of Rooks (Corvus frugilegus) arrived here. April 11th was the date of their arrival last year. Though I am informed that the Rook breeds in the neighbouring islands of Orkney, I am unable to ascertain that it has ever done so in Shetland, though numbers remained here during last summer.— (Halligarth, Unst, Shetland).

Some March Notes from Aberdeen.—The first appearance here of the Curlew (Numenius arquata) was on March 3rd, and on the same date I heard the spring notes of the Golden Plover (Charadrius pluvialis). I also heard a Bleater-Snipe (Gallinago cœlestis) bleating in the manner peculiar to these birds on March 6th. The Pied Wagtail (Motacilla lugubris) made its appearance at the same time. The Common or Green-billed Gull (Larus canus) came inland on the 11th, while a flock of Wild Geese crossed over here on the 20th of the month. A specimen of the Common Redshank (Totanus calidris) appeared on the 22nd. This bird only visits here by turns, and it is doubtful whether it breeds in the neighbourhood, though I believe that a pair have occasionally done so; but they only appear occasionally in this immediate locality. A prominent observation of the month has been the severe privations of birds caused by the very cold and stormy weather. I noticed a heavy death-rate among Lapwings (Vanellus vulgaris), which fall easy victims to severe weather at this season of the year. In fact, these birds seem very deficient in caution, as any genial weather leads them inland to their proposed summer haunts, and when a snowstorm, such as we have recently experienced occurs, they are reduced to extreme privations, and many succumb. There has been a heavy death-rate here; the remains of the unfortunate birds are numerous, generally near fresh water, where they had congregated in want of food and shelter. They constitute a forcible example of a species of birds which, although now