two on the shore which were in company. We also saw two the previous day, 26th May, nearly a mile from this place, and up on the hill-side. When shot they were trimming each other's feathers, and had every appearance of being paired birds, though upon dissection they proved to be both females, with ovaries much distended, but no appearance of eggs ready for extrusion. Shortly afterwards, just before landing on Mingalay, Captain F. shot two more, also females, though observed in pretty close proximity, and seeming like paired birds. These four birds were in full summer plumage. It seemed probable to us at the time that they had already laid their eggs, and, leaving the duty of incubation partly, or wholly, to the males, had descended to the shore to feed and bathe. If breeding on these islands, they are certainly scarce, as these four female birds were all we observed on Barra Head and Mingalay. Mr. Maclachlan, in a subsequent communication, says "I know the Purple Sandpiper. There are two pairs on Berneray, which hatched on the hill-side. I had the eggs." Positive evidence of their breeding is still required, however. J. A. H.-B.]

III.-Second Report on Scottish Ornithology-October 1st, 1879, to September 30th, 1880.* Compiled by Mr. JOHN A. HARVIEBROWN, F.R.S.E., &c.

The present Report on Ornithology in Scotland for 1879-80 is not so long nor so minute as the last one. Had the First Report been circulated earlier, however, I believe many additional facts would have been forthcoming to swell this one, as some of my correspondents would probably have had more to communicate, if they had been guided by it.

*This is a continuation of the First Report, antea, p. 123. As printing was delayed, it was thought advisable to bring it up to 30th Sept., 1880. The following general report on Shetland for 1878-79 reached me too late for insertion in the First Report:-"In Shetland the contrast between the two seasons-1878 and 1879-as to the birds of all species was so marked that it was at once acknowledged by every inhabitant, when asked an opinion. Comparatively speaking, in August, 1879, the marshes were destitute of Snipe, and the dry hills of the Plover (Charadrius pluvialis, Lin.),” Rev. Geo. Gordon, in lit., 30th July, 1880.

Since my First Report was issued, a very full and able Report "On the Effects of the Winter of 1878-79 on Animal and Vegetable Life on the Borders," has appeared from the able pen of Mr. James Hardy [vide Proc. Berw. Nat. Club, 1879-80, pp. 122-157].

As my last Report said would be the case, the immigration of birds upon our coasts in the autumn of 1879 has received special attention, and a report founded upon the schedules returned from the various lighthouses upon the Scottish coasts, and east coast of England, has been prepared by Mr. John Cordeaux and myself, and has appeared in extenso in the May number of the Zoologist. It should be read by those who are interested in the results of our first year's observations in conjunction with this Report. I may mention, however, that an unusual scarcity of wading birds upon the estuaries of the east coast has been very generally commented upon by my correspondents, and the returned reports of the Lighthouse-keepers fully bear out this scarcity of immigrants-both Waders and other birds-on our Scottish coasts, whilst unusual abundance has been observed upon the English east coast, south of the Humber, passing the lightships or crowding the shores. The prevalence of N.W. winds at the time of migration is probably the first cause in this scarcity, assisted to no inconsiderable extent by the disastrous loss of bird-life in the severe winter of 1878-79; and also the late spring, which retarded the vernal migration in 1879. Two other somewhat unusual phenomena were, the irruption of Skua-gulls upon our coasts,* and the large numbers of Whimbrels on the east coast, where these birds are usually very scarce.

JOURNAL OF THE WINTER OF 1879-80.

On October 4th, 1879, my friend, Mr. W. Horn, saw a little snow in Aberdeenshire. On 14th October he and I walked over from Glen Queich to Remony, on Loch Tay, through a snow-storm. This snow lay all the 15th and 16th on the higher Perthshire hills. On the 15th there was inch of ice on the small pools on the

*Mr. J. J. Dalgleish has, since the above was first written, communicated to this Society a paper "On the Skuas, particularly with reference to the recent occurrence of the Pomatorhine Skua (Stercorarius pomatorhinus) on the coasts of Scotland in unusual numbers," read 27th April, 1880 [antea, p. 274]: and Mr. H. Stevenson has contributed a paper "On the abundance of Pomatorhine and smaller Skuas on the Norfolk Coast, in October and November, 1879" (Trans. Norfolk and Norwich Nat. Soc., vol. iii., part 1, p. 99), both of which should be read carefully by those specially interested. References to numerous other notices of the occurrences of Skuas on our coasts will be found in these papers, as well as to the more complete treatment of the subject by Mr. Howard Saunders (P.Z.S., 1876, p. 320). (Field, Jan. 17th, 1880, and Zoologist, March, 1880.)

moor above Easter Shian; and about this date there was curling in Peeblesshire. From the latter end of October till the middle of December was fine in Islay, and, indeed, in most parts. In Islay, in December there was stormy weather, which culminated in the storm of the 28th. Since then the weather remained fine up to end of January.

Nov. 1st.-Up to this time the weather continued generally fine, with an occasional wet day, and crops were well garnered. Local falls of snow whitened the hills in parts of the west coast— Ardnamurchan, Morven, &c.; and frosts occurred at nights about this time, but did not continue.

Nov. 11th and 12th.-A strong gale from the N.W. affected the N.W. and W. coasts, and part of the east coast. Very large hailstones fell in Ardnamurchan on the 11th.*

This cleared off to frost on the 13th and 14th, on which day there was fully inch of ice on still water on Larbert Pond, Stirlingshire, and inch of ice upon the puddles on the road. Frost continued all day, and there was curling in places on the 14th. On the 15th, however, the frost lifted, and was followed on the 17th by heavy rain and gale of wind, succeeded by milder weather until the 27th, when keen frost set in at night, and lasted till the morning of the 9th December. During this time the frost was more intense than any we had in the previous winter. The Clyde was covered with ice from side to side on the 3rd December, and on the morning of the 2nd the thermometer registered 11° of frost. Labour was suspended in neighbourhood of Jedburgh by 8 inches of snow, and sledges were in use, instead of tramway cars, in Aberdeen. Hard frost in central Scotland, without snow. Snow general over N. and S. of Scotland.

This was the same date that ushered in the severe winter of 1878-79 with a snow-storm [see First Report, supra, p. 130].

Dense fogs on Clyde, Glasgow, and other parts of central Scotland. Navigation in the Clyde an "utter impossibility." Fog in the Gareloch. The weather in the Channel Islands intensely cold. Thermometer in central Scotland registered from 19° to 22° of frost. The following is an extract from report issued by

* For account of this gale see daily papers of Thursday, November 13th, 1879, Scotsman, &c.-trees torn up, shipping damaged, &c., &c. -on which day I crossed over from Glenborrodale, in Ardnamurchan, to Tobermory, in Mull, and was glad to get on solid ground again at the latter locality.

Meteorological Office at 6 p.m., on the 3rd December:-"The weather over the United Kingdom to-day may be divided into two distinct portions—namely, fine, quiet, and very cold weather prevailing over all the northern, eastern, and central districts, with light variable breezes and local fogs; and, on the other hand, the less cold weather of our south-west coasts, where the wind has been strong from the eastward, blowing even a gale at the mouth of the Channel, and the weather less foggy, though more cloudy, than in the east. The conditions first named have prevailed in the area of relatively high pressure lying between some slight depression— systems which were found over the North Sea this morning—and a much larger depression which has been advancing in an easterly direction over the Bay of Biscay. To-day it is this latter depression which is likely to produce the most decided effects on our weather, for as it moves eastwards the easterly wind seems likely to increase in force over our southern and eastern districts, accompanied by showers of snow and soft hail; while in Scotland the weather will be fair and very cold. There are at present no signs of any permanent change from the cold weather."

By the 6th December, 15 inches of snow had fallen in the Jedburgh district, and Dr. F. Douglas, of Woodside, Kelso, registered 11° below zero, and 13° below zero, with two different thermometers by Adie and Lennie, Edinburgh. Somewhat nearer the river, 14° was registered, and at Springwood Park, close to the river, - 16° was registered, while at Ormiston, four miles from Kelso and close to the river, no less than 18° was registered. The following record was kept carefully by Mr. Boyd of Ormiston's gardener, who was up all night attending to a valuable orchid house :

Weather very calm and clear; wind, if any, S. W.; barom. 29° 80. I am indebted to Dr. F. Douglas for the above data.

The Tay and Tweed and tributaries are frozen over to a considerable thickness. Gartmorn Dam and other ponds near Alloa are frozen over. Frost and snow general over Scotland.

The

weather on the Continent equally severe, or more so. But up to the 4th December labour had not been suspended in Berwickshire, and no snow lay there, being near the sea.

Writing on 8th December, a correspondent in S. Uist reports that, since the 29th November, the ground there has been covered with snow about 1 inch deep on the low ground. "Now, all the fresh-water lochs are frozen over. Weather beautiful and bright. Ice strong enough to bear the weight of a man; and ducks all at sea."

A

On the 9th December a rapid thaw took place, with S.W. wind, and cleared off a great deal of the snow in some districts; but keen frost-10° to 13°-set in again on 10th, and continued. good deal of loose ice came down the Forth, but inland the thaw did not carry away much ice from the rivers, and none from the ponds. The Forth bore traffic across its surface opposite Cambuskenneth Abbey three days previous to the thaw. This was interrupted by the thaw, but resumed again the following day. Frost up to 13th, when thaw, with S. W. wind, carried away a good deal of ice from the rivers, rising to half a gale of wind on the night of the 14th December, during which day the thaw continued.

Winter continued, however, on the Continent with unabated rigour, and, even in Spain, the Castile Canal was reported as frozen over on the 13th December. The following from the papers of 26th December shows the state of the winter in France, &c.:

"The thermometer on Tuesday night went down to 2° F. in Paris and to 1° below zero at Charleville. Numbers of persons have been walking across the Seine, and on Tuesday night a torchlight party crossed it, but the ice is much too uneven for skating. The Western Railway Company has stopped running a number of its passenger trains owing to the effects of the cold on its staff, and the increase in goods traffic consequent on the difficulties of other means of transport. The canals round Lille have by great efforts been cleared of ice. Wolves have appeared near Charleville, Laval, Bar-le-Duc, and Amiens. At Mayence the ice is so thick that blacksmiths, publicans, &c., are beginning to do business on it."

And this may be compared with the following from the Times of about the same date :

"The singular phenomenon has been frequently observed in the