in the Simmer of 1828. 197 



evidently young birds by the variegated dark colouring of 

 their plumage. From this circumstance I was led to infer 

 that, although a pair or two might sometimes stay and breed 

 in Shetland, by far the greater number of those often seen in 

 the early part of spring and latter part of summer were birds 

 going to, or returning from, climes farther south. Dr. Ed- 

 monston thinks the contrary, and firmly believes in the truth 

 of his statement, the validity of which, I must say, I was un- 

 able to prove. 



Nothing unusual arrests the attention along the eastern 

 coast ; though the tides and coasts are somewhat dangerous, 

 owing to the many eddies and whirlpools occasioned by the 

 impetuosity of the current, which rushes with irresistible 

 violence around the projecting angles or buttresses of rock 

 that are everywhere distributed over the irregular and strag- 

 gling shores of Shetland. From Unst, two days' easy sail will 

 give the traveller sufficient time to observe the beauties of the 

 many bays, inlets, and promontories, and bring him to Ler- 

 wick, the capital. Opposite to Lerwick, upon the eastern 

 side of Bressa, lies the small island of Noss, which may be 

 ranked next to Foula for ornithological interest ; almost every 

 bird that breeds in these isles, except the skua gull and 

 Manks puffin, being found during the summer months in Noss. 

 The island is beautiful, and, to be seen to advantage, it ought 

 to be viewed from the sea in a boat. The eastern extremity 

 or head, known in the island by the name of Langcliff, merits 

 the first attention, and is certainly a grand and lofty precipice ; 

 possessing in its strata the finest and most beautiful shades of 

 brown^ dark brown, and black, which, broken and shattered 

 into an irregular surface, or running in distorted ridges, 

 present a variegated relief to the otherwise fractured appear- 

 ance of the face. Files of razor-bills, guillemots, and puffins 

 jare ranged in regular ranks, their white breasts affording 

 B. striking contrast to the dark colour of the cliff; while, 

 nearer to the sea, and somewhat more to the left, the ledges 

 are occupied by kittiwakes. I invariably observed, indeed, 

 that, to whatever crags the guillemots resorted, they were 

 attended by more or less of these gulls ; but, although this 

 was always the case, there was still a regular line of demar- 

 cation between them, neither attempting to approach upon 

 the precincts of the other. Upon the firing of a gun under 

 this chff, the birds with which it is covered tumble from the 

 rocks in astonishing multitudes, and present a very easy mark 

 to the sportsman. Numbers of these Ipirds are often killed 

 by parties of pleasure from Lerwick, and distributed among 

 the poorer classes for eating. 



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