6i 4 G A N N E T. Class II. 



water, fuch as graft, fea plants, fhavings, &c. 

 Thefe birds frequent the Ifle of Ailfa, in the Firth 

 of Clyde -, the rocks adjacent to St. Kilda, the Stack 

 of Souh fiery, near the Orkneys ; the Skelig IJles, off 

 the coaits of Kerry, Ireland*, and the Bafs IJle, in 

 the FfWA of Edinburgh : the multitudes that in- 

 habit thefe places are prodigious. Dr. Harvey's 

 elegant account of the latter, will ferve to give fome 

 idea of the numbers of thefe, and of the other 

 birds that annually migrate to that little fpot. 



" There is a fmall (/land, called by the Scotch, 

 " Bafs I (land, not more than a mile in circumfe- 

 " rence ; the furface is almoft wholly covered du- 

 " ring the months of 'May and June with nefts, eggs, 

 11 aid young birds; fo that it is fcarcely pojfible to 

 " walk without treading on them : and the flocks of 

 " birds in flight are fo prodigious, as to darken the 

 " air like clouds-, and their noife is fuch, that you can- 

 " not, without difficulty, hear your next neighbour's 

 " voice. If you look down upon the fea, from the 

 "top of the precipice, you will fee it on every fide 

 " covered with infinite numbers of birds of different 

 " kinds, fwimming and hunting for their prey : if in, 

 "failing round the ijland you furvey the hanging cliffs, 

 "you may fee in every cragg or fiffure of the broken 



* This information we owe to that worthy prelate, the late 

 Dr. Poccck, Bifhop of Meath ; who had vifited the Skeligu 

 Mr. Smith, in his liiitories of Cork and Kerry, confounds 

 tills bird with the Gull defcribed by Mr. Willughby ; from 

 whom he has evidently borrowed the whole defcription. 



^ " rocks, 



