88 Mr. C. Dixon on the 



seen as many as lialf a dozen pairs swimming together in East 

 Bay. The natives never collect the down^ a sure sign that 

 the bird is scarce here. 



SOMATERIA SPECTABILIS. 



Ornithologists will read with pleasure that the King Eider 

 frequents St. Kilda, I first became aware of this interesting 

 fact when trying to stalk the Common Eiders in the bay. 

 For two hours I lay concealed behind a huge boulder^ watching 

 the little party of Ducks that were swimming just outside 

 the breakers. Two of the pairs were King Eiders. In spite 

 of all my efforts^ both on this and subsequent occasions^ I 

 failed to secure an example. They were not more than 

 seventy yards away from me several times^ so that I had 

 every opportunity of observing them ; and on more than one 

 occasion I carefully scanned them through a powerful glass. 

 They mingled freely with the Common Eiders and did not 

 differ in any perceptible degree in their habits. It was a 

 pretty sight to watch these rare and charming birds sporting 

 in the heaving waves^ the males and females swimming side 

 by side. As the mighty rollers broke upon the shore the 

 birds dived through the bright green wave just before it 

 turned over. They were busy feeding on the small animals 

 which Avere disturbed by the breaking waves. They floated 

 light as corks on the heaving sea, now high up exposed to 

 view, then deep down in the trough of the waves. As soon 

 as they caught a glimpse of me they quickly swam further 

 from shore. Every day they might be observed in one par- 

 ticular part of the bay ; and I have not the slightest doubt 

 that they were nesting on the precipitous island of Doon. Of 

 course the natives did not distinguish them from the Common 

 Eider; and they take but little interest in them, for they tell 

 me the male Eider is the only bird of St, Kilda that they are 

 unable to snare. 



Anser ferus. 



I noticed five birds, whicli I took to be Grey-lag Geese^ 

 flying past St. Kilda on the second evenijig of my stay. They 

 were flying almost due Mcst, right out to sea, and were pro- 



