NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 289 



Tt may prove interesting to compare these remarks of Mr. 

 Maclachlan with somewhat similar observations made by myself 

 at the Shiant Islands in 1879,* and those by some of the lighthouse 

 keepers on the west coast of Scotland, such as Stoir Head, Cape 

 Wrath, Butt of Lewis, and Island Glass, f In course of time by 

 doing so we may hope to arrive at interesting conclusions regard- 

 ing the directions of their flights at feeding time, and on migration. 

 Martin also alludes to the fact of birds serving instead of a compass 

 whilst on his passage to St. Kilda. The Puffins of the Shiant 

 Islands fly away for many miles south-westward to their feeding 

 grounds in the Minch and Sound of Harris. Rock-birds are seen 

 also passing Stoir Head lighthouse in large numbers in June, 

 flying in a south-westerly direction. J. A. H.-B.] • 



KITTIWAKE. Bissa tridactyla (Lin.). 



" The habits of the Gulls are so well known that I have nothing 

 " to remark regarding them. The Kittiwake is the most plentiful. 

 " I have seen their nests so close together that I lifted 38 eggs 

 " without moving my feet. They lay three eggs — tbe same num- 

 " ber as the Black-backed and Herring Gulls." 



[As Mr. W. Macgillivray informs us [" Account of the Outer 

 Hebrides," Edin. Journ. of Natural and Geographical Science, 

 vol. ii., p. 328], the Kittiwake in Barray is called Seathag, but 

 elsewhere in the Hebrides, Ruideag. — J. A. H.-B.] 



BLACK GUILLEMOT. Uria gnjlle (Lin.). 



" The Black Marrot is a scarce bird at Barra Head. A few 

 11 hatch in the fissures of the rocks on the low end of the island. 

 " They hatch two eggs in a dry fissure of the rock which is 

 " accessible by the sea. The young follow the parents to the 

 " water without assistance." 



[The nesting crevices are not always accessible by the sea, but, 

 as far as I have been able to observe, the young can easily gain 

 access to the water from the crevices without assistance by the 

 old birds. Males of the Black Guillemot assist in the duties of 

 incubation, as I have already shown elsewhere, the hatching spot 

 on the breasts of male birds taken upon the eggs, and the sex 



* V. " Trans. Norfolk and Norwich Nat. Soc," vol. hi., p. 47-60, "The 

 Shiant Islands and their Bird- Life," by J. A. Harvie-Brown. 

 t V. " Report on Migration of 1379 " [Zool., May, 1880, p. 40]. 



