NOTES ON A CRUISE IN CLYDE WATERS. 155 



reached me in recent years from the Rev. Mr. J. D. W. Gibson 

 and Mr. Trevor Eyton. We localised what we thought would 

 be the site of one of their colonies, and we visited it from Glenapp 

 the same evening. The Shag (Phalacrocorax graculus, Linn.) 

 was found to be the characteristic species at the place visited, 

 and several nests with eggs and young could be seen. The nests, 

 however, could not be reached safely from above, as, although 

 the cliffs were formed of a gritty sandstone, each step in the 

 cliff shelved towards the sea. It was rather curious that we got 

 no evidence of the nesting of the Common Cormorant here. We 

 lay at the " Wig." in Loch Ryan, that night, and on the follow- 

 ing morning returned to the Shag's nesting colony, on this 

 occasion from the sea. Mr. Robertson was landed to visit the 

 nesting colony, and Messrs. Fleming and Watt to photograph 

 the cliffs. Mr. Robertson reported that the eggs in the nests 

 seemed well incubated, while young in down and squabs were 

 also to be seen. The previous evening we had seen several 

 Black Guillemots ( Uria grylle, Linn. ) — perhaps three pairs — and 

 this species was seen to leave the rocks in the neighbourhood of 

 the Shag's nesting-place. The} T were again seen passing out and 

 in at the same place on our last visit to the place. Mr. Gray 

 says (Birds of Ayrshire, dx.) that he has seen it, "in summer, 

 near the entrance to Loch Ryan," and that it is "probably a 

 native," an opinion with which one must agree after our 

 experience this summer. It is a very hard matter to get 

 irrefragable proof of the nesting of a bird of such habits on 

 such a coast as that at the entrance to Loch Ryan. Large and 

 beautiful clumps of Rose-root (Sedum rhodiola, DC), and Orpine 

 (Sedum telephium, Linn.) relieved the cliffs here. 



Crossing the entrance to the Firth, from Loch Ryan to Sanda, 

 we saw many Ailsa birds, and on two occasions what were taken 

 to be Manx Shearwaters (Puffinus anglormu, Temm.). We 

 anchored in the roads at Sanda, after a delightful sail in clear 

 and beautiful weather, and after lunch proceeded to investigate 

 Sheep Island, which is of considerable size, though less than 

 Sanda. It is covered with grass, brake-fern, and wood-hyacinth 

 chiefly, and has a somewhat bold appearance on a near approach, 

 owing to the cliffs on its eastern face. On its north side is a fine 

 natural arch, which was photographed by Mr. Fleming. The 



