70 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 



the bay as if mad with delight. When feeding over some seaweed- 

 covered bank, the whole party disappear, and rise again together. 

 I have examined the contents of their stomachs, but found 

 nothing but half-digested seaweed and great quantities of shell- 

 sand, and pieces of coralline. 



I have always found them a very difficult bird to shoot. I 

 never could get a sitting shot at them, though I have tried every 

 method of approaching them — running down upon them under 

 sail, rowing to them, or drifting in a minute punt. I have had 

 most success by coming in upon them from the sea in a small 

 boat. They invariably take wing when you get within from a 

 hundred yards to a quarter of a mile. The moment you hear 

 their music begin loudly to sound, drop your oars, seize your gun ; 

 there you see the large flock rising like a black cloud off the 

 water. Now they fly in a long straggling body to windward — 

 there they turn ! — here they come — look out ! The main flock 

 passes by out of shot ; never mind, here's a small party coming 

 straight for us ; in a moment they are whistling past the boat 

 with the swiftness of shot ; no time for a poking aim ; bang ! 

 hurra ! — there's a pair of them. Load again ; that shot has 

 broken up the large flock, and small bodies are flying about in 

 all directions ; you will soon get another shot ; after that they 

 will probably fly out to sea. This is a fortunate day ; but I 

 have often had the mortification of seeing them all fly off to sea 

 without obtaining a single shot at them. 



From the various plumage of the male, female, winter, summer, 

 young, and adult, there is a wonderful variety exhibited wherever 

 many of these birds are congregated. 



