330 UTAMANIA TOKDA. 



Habits. — In autumn gieat numbers of Razor-bills make 

 their a])pearancc on the bays and estuaries of most parts of 

 Scotland and England. As the season advances they become 

 more numerous to the southward, and in winter the northern 

 coasts are almost entirely deserted by them. In the firths 

 and other inlets, when frequented by slioals of young herrings 

 or other fishes, they are often seen in great abundance, and 

 in fine weather are occasionally met Avith in the open seas. 

 Toward the end of spring they collect into parties, and pro- 

 ceed toward certain breeding-places, Avhich are always abrupt 

 cliffs along the shores, or precipitous islands, where they 

 nestle along with the Guillemots and Kittiwakes. Of this 

 kind are St. Abb's Head in Berwickshire, the Bass Rock, and 

 Fowlsheugh near Stonehaven. The Hebrides afford many 

 such retreats, one of the most interesting of which is the 

 little island of Berneray, called by mariners Barray Head, 

 about ninety miles distant from the coast of Ireland on the 

 one hand, and St. Kilda on the other, and one of a group of 

 islets named the South Isles of Barray. In the summer of 

 1818, 1 accompanied Mr. Macneil of Vetcrsay, and Mr. Nicol- 

 son, the minister of Barray, to these islands. Soon after 

 landing, we betook ourselves to a hut, which had been cleared 

 for our reception, and regaled ourselves Avith roasted mutton, 

 wild fowls' eggs, and whisky. As our boat was rather large 

 and heavy, it was substituted by a smaller one belonging to 

 the people of the island. Rowing round its eastern extremity, 

 we came upon some high cliffs, covered with Guillemots, of 

 which about forty were killed, together with a few Gulls. 

 Passing round the island, we returned to our lodging, and in 

 the evening I accompanied Mr. Nicolson to the summit of a 

 ridge, on which were the remains of a rude fort, and Avhere we 

 had a fine view of the islands. Patches of Avhite vapour 

 floated on the surface of the ocean, and the summit of the 

 cliffs were enveloped in mist. The weather had been so 

 sultry for many weeks, that where the soil lay thin on the 

 rocks, the herbage was scorched, the brooks, and even the 

 fountains, were dried up, and in this usually cold and wet 

 climate we experienced many of the disagreeable effects of a 

 warmer region, without any of its advantages. But the 



