i 3 4 SPRING 



and they probably never nested along this part of the coast. 

 The guillemot nested until recently on the South Foreland, 

 but it is doubtful whether it still does so ; and the razorbill 

 and puffin have both vanished from their last Kentish 

 haunts. But all three species still breed in the Isle of 

 Wight, and as one goes westwards and northwards they 

 become more and more abundant. In some of their Scottish 

 haunts the numbers of the common guillemot and puffin 

 are astonishing. The black guillemot is a much smaller 

 and considerably scarcer species which is now found south 

 of the Border only on the cliffs of the Isle of Man. 

 Besides these two well-defined guillemots, in most breeding- 

 places of the common species there are a considerable 

 number of a variety which has sometimes been ranked 

 as a distinct species under the name of the ringed guillemot. 

 In these birds the eye is encircled by a white line, which 

 is prolonged backwards into a stripe. The collection of 

 guillemots' eggs forms a regular industry at Bempton on 

 the chalk cliffs near Flamborough Head, where the climbers, 

 or ' dimmers,' are lowered by ropes to hunt the ledges. 

 The eggs are chiefly used in confectionery, as are many 

 black-headed gulls' eggs. The only other spot where the 

 colonies of sea-birds are now regularly utilised for human 

 food is on the remote island of St. Kilda. This is the 

 chief, though not now the only nesting-place of the fulmar ; 

 and several thousand young birds are now caught and salted 

 for winter consumption. 



Gannets are now confined at the breeding season to 

 six or eight large colonies on rocky islands off various parts 

 of our coasts, but all on the western side except the famous 

 station on the Bass Rock. Lundy Island was long in- 

 habited by them, but they have deserted it since disturbance 

 became more frequent, and they have now no English 



