58 WITH NATURE AX J) A CAMERA. 



The Tree Sparrows are quite numerous for sueli 

 a small place. I found five or six nests, all con- 

 taining- young- ones, in holes in the stone walls 

 and cliffs. I noticed one da}', whilst out in a 

 Ixxit, a voung- Tree SpaiTow taking- his hrst lesson 

 in the art of flying. He started from the face of 

 an overhanging crag a couple of hundred feet high, 

 and so weak and ineffectual were his \ving--l)cats 

 that he came down tcjwards the cold l)lue water 

 below, with his affectionate little mother flying- 

 round and round him in a series of spiral curves 

 and greatly alarmed. At last he fell flop into the 

 sea, and I thought it was all over with him. My 

 heart was full of sorrow for the })oor little fellow, 

 as we could not reach the spot in time to save him. 

 Just as I was reflecting upon the dangers to which 

 young birds are subjected on leaving the nest, I 

 was surprised to see the unfortunate fledgling- rise 

 from the crest of a wave, and 1)}' a tremendous 

 effort fly to a jutting rock of safety a few inches 

 above the tide-mark, where his mother joined liini 

 and showed a great deal of anxious solicitati(»n for 

 his welfare. 



I observed that whenever the sun slioiic, whicli 

 was not often during our stay, the Tree Sparro^\•s 

 would hop alunit in the grass of the field surrouud- 

 in<!- the villa<>-e looking for flies and other winii-cd 

 insects, many of which they caught b}' a short 

 hawking flight a couple of feet or so straight u}) 

 iri the air. After tln-ee or four of tliese })rett}' 

 little vertical flutters the}' generally flew away to 

 their nests with their j^rey. 



Two or tln-ee ii'reat Iflack-biickcd (Julls t'l-oiii 

 Lavenish — a bare rock upon wliicli llies(> birds biecd 

 close to the island of St. Kilda -were constnnlly 

 hanging round Village Bay, waiting- for anytliiiig they 



