58 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



19/"// Sept. — Stormy weather for the last four days. 

 Gannets flying more scattered and singl}-, but nearly as 

 numerous.J After sunset to-night all were flying in a N.E., 

 direction. 



2'i^rd Sept. — An evident decrease in numbers passing. 

 Many fishing locally within a {^^n feet of the rocks. 



2<)tJi Sept. — Strong north wind, but many passing late 

 in evening and early next morning, in both directions. 



loth Oct. — No Gannets are now seen passing before 

 sunrise or after sunset, but during the forenoon about a 

 score per hour continue to pass in both directions. 



25/// Oct. — Still a passage of a few birds for part of the 

 day. No young or immature birds are seen. 



\2th Nov. — After a week of wild, stormy weather no 

 Gannets have been seen since 8th. It is generally with wild, 

 breezy weather we see occasional Gannets in late November, 

 December, and early January ; so also with strong winds is 

 their usual travelling east and west completely broken up. 



In continuation, it may be interesting to remark here that 

 in December 191 5 and January 1916 more Gannets have 

 been seen than I ever saw previously in winter, here or 

 elsewhere. One or two a week was the usual winter record, 

 but this season they were seen several at a time, and every 

 day. The weather has been unusually wild and stormy. 



The above are only a few extracts from observations 

 noted down at the time, but from them interesting comments 

 may be made, or opinions formed, and a general conclusion 

 arrived at relative to this great movement of Gannets. 



It is peculiar that we seldom or never see Gannets 

 passing in the direction to or from Sulesgeir, our nearest 

 gannetry. But neither do we see them coming from, or 

 going direct to, the Stack, but from the S.E. to round the 

 Butt, and go westward. Evidently the Stack Gannets 

 approach the Cape Wrath shore before making across the 

 Minch, for on the few occasions when observed from the cliffs 

 on the east of the Lewis they were seen coming from Cape 

 Wrath direction. 



Presuming that the birds on westward flight in the early 

 mornings are Stack Gannets, and those on eastward St Kilda 



