Rock-Dove (Columba livia).—Seen everywhere on rocky coasts. In a cave on Fore Holm, F.S. Graves, with great difficulty, reached a nest in which were two hard-sat eggs. Close to this was another with newly-hatched young (31st May).
Corn-Crake (Crex pratensis).—Five eggs taken on Foula in 1897 were shown us.
Golden Plover (Charadrius pluvialis).—Only a few pairs seen, near Walls and in Unst; evidently nesting.
Ringed Plover (Ægialitis hiaticula).—Very common on holms and stony barrens; sometimes also on loch-sides inland. Abundant in the interior of Papa Stour, where the surface has been stripped of sods, leaving a waste of sharp-edged red and white shingle, with scraps of sickly vegetation. Nests found on the Scalloway islands. One on Hildasay was formed of the dry droppings of rabbits arranged in a well-shaped ring round the four eggs.
Lapwing (Vanellus cristatus).—A few here and there. Evidently breeding near Whiteness and Walls.
Oystercatcher (Hæmatopus ostralegus).—Common everywhere on the coast. Nesting abundantly on the Scalloway islands. One nest contained four eggs. We saw the birds buffet the Raven and Hooded Crow.
Common Snipe (Gallinago cœlestis).—We saw one pair at Snarravoe, Unst.
Dunlin (Tringa alpina).—A few pairs seen by grassy lochsides. We repeatedly heard their reeling "song," which was uttered when the bird was standing on a tussock, and not when on the wing. They were very tame. At one of the places they frequented were several small cup-shaped nests on the tufts of grass, but laying seemed not to have commenced.
Common Sandpiper (Totanus hypoleucus).—Two pairs met with near Walls on inland lochs.
Whimbrel (Numenius phæopus).—Heard the characteristic cry from the steamer while in Bastavoe, Yell.
Curlew (N. arquata).—A few only seen, both on the moors and coast. One apparently breeding on Hermanness, Unst.
Arctic Tern (Sterna macrura).—Noticed none on our first visit to Scalloway islands (20th May); on second visit (31st May) they were numerous at their well-known stations, and noisy, although no vestiges of nesting were yet to be seen.
