catalogup: of birds. 67 



colonies, according to the authority of Howard 

 Saunders, are situated on Lundy Island, in the 

 Bristol Channel ; Grassholm, off the coast of 

 Pembrokeshire ; Bass Rock and Ailsa Craig, in 

 Scotland ; Boreray, in the St. Kilda group ; 

 Sulisgen, or North Barra, on which 2,000 to 3,000 

 birds are sometimes taken in a season ; and the 

 Stack of Suliskerry, about forty miles west of 

 Stromness, In Ireland there is a colony on the 

 Bull Rock, off Dursey Head, in county Cork, and 

 a small one on the Little Skellig. 



In the breeding - season Gannets present a 

 wonderful sight, the cliffs where the colony is 

 having the appearance of being dotted with snow 

 flakes. In 1903 I was making my way down to the 

 south of Ireland by steamer from Glasgow; en route 

 we passed close by Ailsa Craig, which was whitened 

 with these birds on their nests. For the amusement 

 of the passengers, the Captain sounded the foghorn 

 pretty loud, at which the Gannets, Guillemots, 

 Razor Bills, and other sea-birds rose in one dense 

 cloud, darkening the sky for a time. 



In describing the colony on the Bass Rock in the 

 breeding-season, Seebohm says : " The scene is a 

 most imposing one. Thousands of Gannets are 

 sailing to and fro before the mighty cliff; every part 

 of the rocks that can support a nest is crowded with 

 birds ; birds are constantly coming to and leaving 

 the cliffs. The harsh notes of quarrelling Gannets 

 sound in all directions ; whilst numbers are to be 

 seen sitting quietly on the greensward on the top 



