yo The Irish Nahiralist. 



with eggvS, and the air filled with the musical din of a thousand 

 feathery things that dashed around like snowflakes in 

 the eddy of a winter's gale. Our boatman, fearing a shift of 

 wind, stayed out in the boat all night, and slept soundly, with 

 the hard boards for a bed and the sail for a blanket. 



The following morning we were up at half-past six, and 

 after a snack of bread and a glass of warm new milk, forced 

 a few shillings on our unwilling host, and were on the water 

 by seven. The weather was still gloomy, but looking rather 

 better. We ran southward and landed on Calf Island, which 

 was barren. Then on to Sketrick Island, where we examined 

 the ruins of the old castle, on the top of which we stood at 

 eight o'clock, seriously disturbing the peace of a colony of 

 Jackdaws established in the ruins. Though a large portion of 

 the landward wall has fallen outwards, the massive square 

 keep still stands, frowning in picturesque decay over the 

 causeway which connects the island with the shore. How 

 much more peaceful was the scene on which we gazed from 

 its moSvSy rampart that summer's morning, than that which 

 the O'Neill saw four hundred years ago, when having marched 

 with his army into Clannaboy to assist his fellow chief 

 McQuillan, he took and plundered the castle of Sgath Deirg 

 (Sketrick), and handed it over to the keeping of his ally. 



We next visited Trasnagh Island, Craigaveagh Rock, Roe 

 Island, and Partan Island. On the latter we had good fortune, 

 finding an Oystercatcher's, some Terns' among the seaweed, and 

 a Merganser's with seven eggs, built among long grass and 

 nettles at the foot of the wall of a ruined cottage. We saw 

 the beaten track among the grass, and soon came upon a mass 

 of down and bents ; upon parting the down the beautiful drab- 

 coloured eggs were found underneath. We could not help 

 admiring the clever way they were concealed ; the female was 

 ;5een in the sea a short distance off. Then on to Darragh 

 Island, where we landed about eleven, and had our breakfast. 

 From this we tried Drummond Island, which was barren, as 

 was also Great Minnis Island. Next visited Dunsey Rock, 

 and another I^ong Sheelah, which yielded a few Terns', Oyster- 

 catchers', and Ringed Plovers' nests, and then stood away to 

 Black Rock, off Ringdufferin, where we found another Oyster- 

 catcher's. On several of these islands we found numerous 

 nests of Terns and Plovers, but the eggs had been taken. 



