128 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



islands, and they were certainly nesting there by 1902, when 

 Mr Herbert Langton obtained two eggs and reported the 

 fact to Harvie- Brown. Mr Eagle Clarke, when on Eilean Mor 

 of that group for the purpose of studying migration in 1904, 

 was informed that a few pairs of Fulmars had bred on the 

 outer islands for several years ; and there were two nests (the 

 first) on Eilean Mor itself that year {Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 

 1905, p. 86). The birds were reported as plentiful at the 

 Flannans in April 1901 and 1902 {ibid., 1902, p. 138, and 

 1903, p. 210). 



Shiant ISLES.— By 1910 the Fulmar had reached the 

 Shiant Isles, as observed by Misses Baxter and Rintoul on 

 8th June from the deck of a yacht. They saw several pairs 

 " fly up again and again to the ledges on the cliff (facing the 

 north ?), but it could not be ascertained if they were nesting," 

 though doubtless they were {Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 191 1, 

 p. 144). In 1903, when Harvie-Brown, while on a cruise on 

 the yacht Amaranth, was at the north side of these islands, 

 lie saw not one, though he kept a special eye open for the vision. 



St Kilda. — We need not refer to the history and status 

 of the Fulmars on the St Kilda group of islands, except to 

 say that the chronological accounts of their presence and 

 abundance there take us back some two hundred and fifty 

 years. Nor does it seem necessary to do more than mention 

 the long isolation of this — the only — original British colony, 

 from the greater populations of arctic and sub-arctic lands, 

 though ample opportunity is thereby given for speculations 

 of not uninteresting nature. 



Of their decided and very marked increase at St Kilda, 

 however, we wish just to say, that the fact seems perfectly 

 established by the evidence of eye-witnesses, amongst whom 

 particularly may be mentioned Mr Mackenzie of Dunvegan, 

 Skye, who, in his capacity of factor to The MacLeod, has long 

 been an annual visitor to the group. He speaks to the 

 evident and considerable increase of the birds since the 

 natives have in great measure ceased to utilise such large 

 numbers for food, i.e., since the place has been more regularly 

 visited by the s.s. Dnnara Castle, and other vessels of the 

 west coast service, and by the trawlers and Norwegian 



