160 THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL. 



the narrow neck of land at Crinan, but never Guillemots and 

 Puffins. 1 Even at their breeding places, when disturbed, the vast 

 flocks keep flying round and round in a great circle — a maelstrom 

 of feathers — its edge forming a tangent with the verge of the 

 cliff; but you may wait in vain for a single bird to encroach 

 upon the line ; whatever you shoot, in falling, is sure to plumb 

 the sea below. 2 



XXIII. 



Akdeishaig, 1st May 1861. 



On Monday, 25 th February, I started for a trip to Jura. My 

 companion was a young officer in the 78 th Highlanders. We 

 drove over the hill to Tayvallich, on Loch Swein, and at 

 Carsaig found a large, smack-rigged boat waiting to ferry us over 

 to Jura, which lay opposite, about eight miles off, though our run 

 was a good deal more, as we bore some way down the coast. 



The aspect of Jura is as wild, rugged, and inhospitable as 

 can be conceived. Not a house or vestige of inhabitants is to be 

 seen as far as the eye can reach up and down that interminable line 

 of shaggy brown coast. The triple Paps of Jura, the best known 

 landmark on the west coast of Scotland, are steeped in mist away 

 to the south ; while to the north Scarba rears his high round 

 back into the lowering sky, and Corryvreckin — " the boiler of the 

 spotted ocean " — roars at his feet. This is the Scylla and 

 Charybdis of the Ebudean seas. Though ten miles off, we hear 



1 See also at p. 259, text and footnote. — En. 



- Not always strictly so with Puffins or Rockbirds in many localities.- Ei». 



