236 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



their numerical position ; in fact, I believe there is a slight increase. 

 Visiting the Craig on 18th July, I learnt that very few young Razor- 

 bills or Guillemots left the rock last summer, but that the adult 

 birds arrived in considerable numbers this year in March, leaving 

 and returning several times, till they finally settled down, with the 

 apparent intention of nesting, early in May ; from the end of May 

 to July the number of birds has gradually diminished, and latterly 

 they only appeared in the sea in the early hours of the morning, 

 disappearing again as the day advanced. While on the Craig 

 I made a careful survey of all the well-known nesting sites, but on 

 none of these could a single Razorbill or Guillemot be seen 

 nesting. 



During the nesting season of 1912, and particularly throughout 

 the present season, there has been continuous big gun practice on 

 warships west of Ailsa, the concussions produced being sufficient to 

 close open doors at the Lighthouse Station, while even in Girvan, 

 9 miles further distant, the shocks were severely felt, and local 

 opinion is very strong that this is the cause of the birds deserting 

 their usual haunts ; but as Mr A. G. Ferguson of St Kilda reports 

 "very few Guillemots and Razorbills this year," one must seek for 

 other reasons, and the one that most naturally occurs is that of food 

 supply. I have been anxious to obtain reports from other nesting 

 sites, but so far only two have reached me : Mr Theo Kay of 

 Lerwick writing regarding the east side of Shetland, "As many 

 Guillemots and Razorbills as in previous years " ; Mr John Gilmour, 

 Noup Head, Westray, Orkney, writes, " I do not observe any 

 diminution in the numbers of these birds this year, but there 

 are fewer young ones to be seen." Notes from other quarters may 

 throw some light on the extraordinary disappearance of these birds 

 from their great nesting stronghold in the Firth of Clyde. 

 Charles Kirk, Glasgow. 



[As regards the breeding stations in the Firth of Forth where 

 gun practice on warships has also been much in evidence, 

 the numbers of the above species nesting this summer appeared to 

 me to be quite up to those of former years; indeed, on the Isle of 

 May cliffs, which were closely inspected on several occasions, 

 I noted in the case of the Puffin a decided increase, as has also 

 occurred I believe at the Bass Rock. W. Evans.] 



' The Fulmar and Common Guillemot in Lewis : exten- 

 sion of breeding-range. On a visit to the cliffs at Doone 

 Tower, a few miles north from Cellar Head, on the east or Minch 

 side of the Lewis, on 26th June last, several Fulmars were seen 



