150 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



25th of March, and towards the middle of May lays its 

 solitary egg either in cracks and crevices of the rocks, or in 

 cairns under flat stones. It sits for five weeks, and very soon 

 after gets its young down to the sea. It is not so social as 

 the Guillemot, often breeding in solitude, but more frequently, 

 when the space admits, in colonies. The egg when fresh is 

 considered very good eating, but the bird even when in 

 condition only fairly so. It leaves for the season early in 

 August. I have heard it said that this bird and also the 

 Guillemot glues its egg to the rock, but I have carefully 

 examined hundreds of them, but never could detect anything 

 of the kind. 



The PUFFIN [Fratercula arcticd\ begins to arrive on the 

 5th of April. If the weather is dull and damp it will arrive 

 a few days earlier than if the weather is dry. Hence he is 

 here called " buigire," the damp fellow. But although he does 

 not come to the island till then, he is to be met with on the 

 sea not far away in March. At first they visit the shore in 

 small flocks, but if the weather is suitable they will all come 

 on shore in a few days. If the weather becomes dry they 

 will not remain on shore in such large numbers. Also, if the 

 weather is dull and damp and they are on shore, should it 

 come on rain, large numbers will go off to sea again just as 

 if it had cleared up dry. Except of course such as are 

 incubating, they always frequent in by far the largest numbers 

 that side of the island on which the wind is blowing. Pro- 

 bably this is because their powers of flight being limited, they 

 find it very difficult to rise with the wind or in a calm. At 

 such times they bump several times against the ground before 

 they get fairly under way, and if you are active you can 

 catch several by hand. Soon after their arrival they begin 

 to visit their breeding grounds, and in a few days start clear- 

 ing out the old holes or digging new ones. A large number 

 burrow under boulders, or find suitable holes among the 

 stones of the many cairns. The others dig holes in the soil 

 like those of a rabbit. Where the soil is suitable these holes 

 are often very deep, but where the soil is shallower I have 

 often broken into them when walking. The parents sit on 

 their solitary egg by turns for about six weeks. When first 

 hatched the chick, like those of the Gannet and Fulmar, 



