GREAT AUK 39 



to get some live White- winged Gulls for the Zoological, 

 but the brutes are very wary, and do not seem inclined 

 to take either a baited hook or to get into a snare. 



On Sunday (the 30th) I saw a fine Buffon's Skua here, 

 and yesterday evening a man sent us one from Keblavik 

 that he had shot. I have tried several times in vain to 

 find Snow Buntings' nests ; they are now building, but 

 they do not seem to have a good heart in the matter, for 

 often after picking up a nice bit of wool or a feather they 

 let it drop again before long. I succeeded some days ago 

 in watching a White Wagtail to its nest, but there are no 

 eggs yet. The only eggs I have seen, are one nest of 

 Lesser Black-backed Gull and three Golden Plovers' 

 which have been brought in. The weather still looks far 

 from being settled, and it seems as if we might be here 

 at least another fortnight. What our future plans may 

 be I cannot say at all. Of course, the great object is to 

 reach Great Auk, but unless we soon get the attempt 

 made it will be of no use going northward, and then we 

 must devote ourselves to Grey Phalarope in this corner 

 of the island. We have sent to the westward to Oddi, 

 for Gooses' eggs, as Faber says Anser albifrons is there 

 only. 



I shall certainly try and get home by the middle of 

 August, though I think Wolley will very likely stay 

 longer. 



Elveden, August 16, 1858. 



The result, then, in short was nothing. Not one day 

 of the whole two months we were at Kirkjuvogr was the 

 sea ever sufficiently calm to have allowed us to land, 

 even had we gone out, and we have come back knowing 

 no more than when we started whether the Great Auk 

 is living or dead. 



