NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF ST. KILDA 149 



same with all the birds of this class as regards their feathers. 

 The feathers on the under part are close and short, and 

 those on the upper part thin and deficient in curl. One 

 Gannet will yield as much as ten of these and of better 

 quality. They are very social birds, always flying, fishing, 

 and sitting on the rocks in small companies. They are 

 extremely numerous, and frequent all the islands of the 

 group wherever there are suitable breeding places. I have 

 seen seventeen basketfuls of eggs taken at one time from 

 Stachbiorrach, and at another time the same season fourteen. 

 These baskets hold each about four hundred of these eggs. 

 Stachbiorrach is one of the smaller islets, and as probably 

 not half of the eggs were robbed, and there are a large 

 number always which are not breeding, the number 

 frequenting this islet alone cannot have been under fifty 

 thousand. Using this estimate and others of a different 

 kind as a basis for calculating, the total number frequenting 

 all the islands of the group cannot be fewer than a million. 

 As no wood of any kind grows on the island these so-called 

 baskets are made entirely of straw. They resemble large 

 flat-bottomed beehives, but they are not constructed in the 

 same way. No string or fibre is used. The straw is twisted 

 into ropes and woven into shape. They are used for a 

 variety of purposes, and are wonderfully strong and durable. 

 Sacks for storing grain and feathers are also made in this 

 way. For them the straw is twisted into much thinner 

 ropes, and they are put together so that they are quite 

 flexible. The making of straw ropes for these purposes 

 and for binding down the thatch on their houses occupies 

 much of the time of the men during the winter evenings. 



o o 



These eggs are very good eating when fresh. After they 

 are incubated for a few days most of the egg appears when 

 boiled to be changed into a rich thick cream, and in this 

 condition they are also relished. Sometimes eggs, not only 

 of this species but of some others which have not been 

 hatched, are found late in the season. Some of these when 

 cooked look like a piece of sponge cake, have a high gamey 

 flavour, and are esteemed a great delicacy. Others are as 

 bad as the most vivid imagination can depict. 



The RAZORBILL \Alca torda] begins to arrive about the 



