BIRD NOTES FROM NORTH RONALDSHAY 67 



ductions, and calling themselves ornithologists, presented themselves 

 to my nephew, Mr. Lawrence Edmondston of Halligarth, and 

 sought permission to visit the Skua's home. Such permission is 

 never refused to any one, the only conditions being that all visitors 

 shall be accompanied by the keeper, and the birds disturbed as 

 little as possible. The Skuas were then in act of laying, and, as the 

 visitors had time at command, Mr. Edmondston suggested that their 

 expedition should be postponed for two or three days, when all the 

 birds would be sitting, and when they would have an opportunity of 

 seeing the Skuas to greater advantage, and with less risk of damage. 

 This proposal was acquiesced in, but two days afterwards these 

 gentlemen betook themselves to Hermanness, entirely on their own 

 account, and without the necessary letter of permission. Warned 

 off by the keeper, they laughed at his remonstrances, and proceeded 

 to hunt for the Skuas' nests. It is highly satisfactory to add that 

 they did not find them, for the keeper, who had been joined by my 

 nephew's shepherd, " shadowed" them at a few paces distance, tak- 

 ing good heed of all their proceedings. But the example of two 

 " stranger gentlemen " in thus setting at defiance the prohibition 

 against trespass very naturally encouraged native raiders, better ac- 

 quainted with the locality. Only a few days afterwards the two 

 nests to which I have already referred were plundered of their eggs, 

 and there was no possibility of tracing the depredators. You can 

 give powerful aid to our dearly prized dependents if you will give 

 world-wide publicity to my protest against such unworthy conduct.' 7 



BIRD NOTES FROM NORTH RONALDSHAY. 



By Allan Briggs. 



THIS island is so well described in " A Fauna of the Orkney 

 Islands " by Messrs. Harvie-Brown and Buckley, that little 

 remains for me to add. There are seven named lochs on 

 the island, the largest being known as the Mill Loch, with 

 an area of something over twenty-eight acres during winter. 

 The island is for the most part cultivated, and divided into a 

 great number of small farms, which are intersected by stone 

 dykes, in many cases so low that they arc of little use for 

 stalking purposes. Many strange birds undoubtedly occur, 

 but with such a large population (the inhabitants numbering 

 about 500) they arc so often disturbed that they seldom 

 remain with us for more than a day at a time. 



This is my first experience of North Ronaldshay during 



