84 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



Uist, and on leaving North Uist went across the Sound of 

 Harris to Obb, and awaited the arrival of the s.s. Dunara 

 Castle, which touches there en route for St. Kilda. In 

 company of my old friend Professor Heddle, I visited 

 St. Kilda and also the Shiant Islands for the first time. 



In 1 88 1, in the yawl Crusader, I devoted most ot 

 my time to an inspection of the islands lying off the west 

 coast of Lewis and Harris, and the Hysgeir group off North 

 Uist, in the company of Dr. Underbill, and after the 6th 

 June of Dr. Heddle. During this time about five weeks 

 the Flannan Isles were visited. 



In June 1885 I visited North Rona in company with 

 Mr. Hugh G. Barclay, of Norwich, in a wretched tub of 

 a river steam -yacht called Eunice. We reached Rona on 

 the third attempt. 



In 1886 I again visited the Outer Hebrides for some 

 weeks, and stayed at Newton, North Uist ; visited Obb and 

 Rodel, and drove on through North Harris and Lewis to 

 Stornoway, intending to join Barrington in my second visit 

 to North Rona ; but I was too late, and went across to 

 Loch Inver instead. 



In the year 1887, the yacht Shiantelle was built at 

 Fraserburgh, in time to reach out to the isles of Stack-and- 

 Skerry, North Rona, 1 and Souliskerry. During six years 

 the Shiantelle was used in company with my friend the late 

 Professor Heddle (who studied the mineralogy of the many 

 localities visited) and Mr. Norrie, photo-artist, of Fraser- 

 burgh (who accompanied us for the purpose of obtaining 

 illustrative views of the places we went to, with the inten- 

 tion of supplying illustrations for future volumes of our 

 "Vertebrate Fauna of Scotland"). Very minute attention, 

 during these cruises, was given to the verification of previous 

 notes. Indeed, the object of building the yacht was to 

 inspect and verify, as well as to add to our knowledge of these 

 most interesting isles, and of the west of Scotland generally. 



Since these objects were attained, and other isles visited, 

 and the Shiantelle was sold, I have made short visits to 



1 I am assured, on the best authority, that no one has resided upon North 

 Rona " for many years " ; i.e. probably not since the circumstances related in 

 our original account were detailed. 



