THE FULMAR 127 



together, no doubt by many previous generations of 

 shepherds and crofters, and formed into many rough sheep- 

 folds and shelters. . . . On the face of the north-west precipice 

 or Horn of Ronay, where there is a considerable broken 

 surface suitable for such birds nesting, I saw six or eight 

 Fulmar Petrels skimming, as is their wont, close to and fro 

 past the cliff-face and top. I saw one alight twice at the 

 same place, about fifty yards west of the granite cliff before 

 mentioned. On returning to this place in the afternoon 

 . . . I saw them again, and several flew very close past 

 where I was sitting . . . but they rarely flew over the land, 

 almost always over the sea. It seemed quite evident that 

 this part of the cliff is the only bit frequented by these birds." 

 . . . Later, " my delight was great when I saw one Fulmar 

 sitting, apparently on its nest." After dislodging her by 

 throwing down a pebble or two, " my disappointment was as 

 great as my previous delight, when I saw an empty nest," etc. 

 ( Vertebrate Fauna of the Outer Hebrides, 1888, p. xlvi.) 



In striking contrast to these experiences are those of "Her 

 Grace when she visited the island in 19 10. Referring to the 

 above account, she writes, after quoting the sentence regarding 

 the sweet scent of the sea-pinks, as follows : — " The sea-pink 

 was in bloom at the time of my visit, but by no stretch of the 

 imagination could I have detected its fragrance amidst the 

 all-pervading stench of the nesting place of hundreds of 

 Fulmars, Great and Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Herring 

 Gulls, and his [H.-B.'s] remark probably bears eloquent 

 testimony to the great increase in these birds since that 

 time, an increase which may possibly be due to the island 

 being now entirely uninhabited. The Fulmars occupy not 

 only the cliffs, but all the old ruins and even the sloping 

 ledges of rock." {Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1910, p. 212.) 



This shows indeed a great change both as regards the 

 population of birds and the disregard of choice in their 

 nesting places. 



Flannan Isles. — The next locality in our geographical 

 sequence is the Flannan Isles, which lie to the westward of 

 the Lews. 



In June 1881, several were seen by us close to these 



