82 DUBLIN NATUEAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



From this account it may be conceived to be the resort of an enormous number 

 of pelagic birds ; and it is scarcely credible the numbers that could be counted 

 at the time of my landing there, early in the month of July, 1850. The part of 

 the island where we landed bore N.N.E., and was sheltered, being the lee side, 

 from the wind, which was N.E. The view of the island facing seaward forms a 

 very remarkable appearance, and is a striking object or mark to vessels from 

 the westward in making the Irish coast ; the singular perforation which forms 

 a wide opening through the island, and the Foze Rock, cause the bearings to be 

 easily known to the American traders. On landing, I found the ascent to be ex- 

 ceedingly difficult, the extreme slipperiness of the rock, which rose abruptly and 

 steeply from the sea, while many portions throughout the ascent were so easily 

 detached as to render every step slow and cautious. Here, on all points around, 

 were congregated such myriads of fowl, and their habits were so amusing that 

 1 almost fancied myself in the region of the Gallapagos Archipelago, or the 

 Falkland Islands, where the extreme tameness and stupidity of the birds are so 

 amusingly and interestingly described by Darwin. Preparation for the object 

 and time would have enabled us to have captured any number. My object, how- 

 ever, being a fishing expedition, and the cutter I had with me being tender to 

 canoes, engaged off the island in an experimental trial, I could only remain for 

 a short time. From my notes the following brief observations are taken: — 

 Along the line of rocks which margined the base of the island, the cormorants, 

 both Phalacracorax carho and P. graculus, were in gangs, perched motionless on 

 the rocks, most of them with expanded wings, in the act of drying them after their 

 morning's fishing. The ledges of the rocks presented tiers of birds, in singular 

 array, old and young, beside their nests. The kittiwakes (JLarus rissa) seemed 

 to occupy the lowest ledges ; higher up were observed the greater and lesser 

 black-backed gulls (Z. marinus and L. fuscus), and above them and to the high- 

 est summits, L. canus and L. argentatus. About midway up the cliffs a very beau- 

 tiful white gull, with dark legs, was pointed out to me by one of the men, which 

 bore a strong resemblance to the Ivory gull (jLarus eburneus). Being an expert 

 climber, he succeeded in reaching near to the nest, and stretching with his foot 

 kicked down several, but they, unfortunately, fell beyond our reach. Immature 

 birds of this species, and of the glaucous gull (Z. glaucus), have been obtained 

 along the west coast. The innumerable numbers of guillemots, razor-bills, and 

 puffins, congregated on all the ledges, led me strongly to suspect that the species 

 Uria Brunnichii and lacrymans were both frequent there. The difficulty, how- 

 ever, of picking up those that were shot, and of grasping those around us, as we 

 were obliged to hold on with one hand to prevent our falling with the detached 

 portions of rock, or being capsized by a sudden squall, marred many successful 

 captures. The young of the razor-bill (Alca torda), called Crossacaun, from the 

 white mark on the bill, are delicious when skinned and broiled, and their eggs 

 are good. It is singular that the fox has been seen on the island. Ravens and 

 the sea eagle, Fiolar na Mara, build on the highest cliffs, and a splendid race of 

 hawks of noble size (the Falco peregrinus) breed there. These are termed Fo- 

 raidheach — fierce or cruel. I obtained a very fine female bird from that island. 

 The eggs are similar in colour and shape to the kestrel, but of larger size ; like 

 the eagle, it lays but two eggs ; the kestrel has four. These rocks and those of 

 the western island abound in fine lichens. Roccella fusiforme, with Borrera fla- 

 vicans and atlantica, were fine. Ramalina scopulorum grew in very long pen- 

 dant tufts, and Parmelia aquila I found in beautiful fructification. Lichenapyg- 

 m«ea was abundant near the water's edge, and I found it equally so with L. con- 

 finis on the highest point of Sybil Head. I have never seen anywhere Plantago 

 ooronopus growing of such extraordinary size — the radical leaves long, spread- 

 ing, and almost succulent. The herdsmen of the west island informed me that 

 the sheep were extremely fond of the plant. Seals were seen in different direc- 

 tions, and I fired at an enormously large one as he raised himself above the wa- 

 ter. The seal was of a very dark colour, and not at all like the Halicharus gry- 

 phus. It is not the object of this paper to enter into any details of geological 



