Mr. Macgillivray's Account of the Outer Hebrides. 333 



S reduce one general noise, in which the cry of individuals cannot be 

 istinguished. The noise and bustle reminded me of the crowded 

 streets of a great city ; and the prodigious numbers I could com- , 

 pare to nothing that I have seen, but swarms of bees, or the shoals 

 of some species of fishes. Some were fishing out at sea, some flying 

 from the rocks, some returning to them, some resting by the edge 

 of the water upon shelves or projecting crags, while by far the 

 greater number were sitting upon their eggs. This when they 

 were not disturbed, and indeed they were not very apt to be star- 

 tled, for unless after a shot none stirred from their places. It was 

 not uncommon to see them ranged in a line extending several yards 

 along a fissure, and this formed a very pretty spectatle, especially 

 when their white breasts appeared ; for, excepting- the gulls, these 

 birds stand almost erect. About ten we set out, passing from the 

 eastern extremity of the island along the rocks westward. In this 

 course about fifty birds were killed, principally guillemots, the 

 reason of which was that the auk and puflin were out of reach, 

 being in the higher parts, and the kittiwake, though nearest, was 

 not in groups like the guillemot, and so was not fired at. A few of 

 the puffins, however, and of the kittiwakes were in the number, 

 the latter having been shot by chance, and the former having been 

 obtained by our guide, who was sent ashore for them. When a shot 

 was fired, the birds, as I have said, did not all leave their nestis, 

 and those which did soon returned. Two men were in the rocks 

 gathering eggs. About twelve the wind began to come in gusts, 

 and the sea was much' agitated, particulary at the western extre- 

 mity of the island, where the current ran Avith great rapidity. 

 These circumstances prevented us from visiting some places equally 

 interesting, particulary an islet covered with pufiins, and induced: 

 us to return to our anchorage, through the sound of Minglay. Rain 

 now began to fall, and the wind blowing pretty smartly from the 

 south, we prepared for returning, and about two set sail. The 

 voyage to Vatersay was performed in an hour and three quarters." 

 But the remote islets and rocks are not the only places where 

 birds occur in great numbers during the breeding-season. In 

 crossing the heaths^ one sees numerous birds of different species, 

 all indicating by their cries and motions their anxiety to decoy hinr 

 from their nests. The golden plover, the dunlin, the snipe, and 

 the red grouse, meet him at almost every step. As he approaches 

 the marshes and pools, he sees the greenshank, the feaser, and the 

 common sandpiper, hovering about, and fiUing the air with their 

 shrieks, wliile several species of duck, the coot, the water-hen, the 

 red-throated diver, and the merganser, are swimming about in u 

 state of great perturbation. On the sandy shores he meets with 

 the ring-])lover and shoals of terns ; and if he visits the caves and 

 crevices of the maritime cliffs, he finds them occupied by shags, 

 black guillemots, pigeons, and starlings. 



From what has been said above, it will be seen that a sportsman 



