of the Outer Hebrides. 25 



a celebrated eyrie of the White-tailed Eagle {Haliaetus albicilla) 

 here, which has been used from time immemorial, and is men- 

 tioned by Martin, who wrote nearly two hundred years ago. I 

 think it is as perfectly inaccessible as any nest can be, owing to 

 the way in which the rock overhangs, and, if the birds are not 

 destroyed, wall remain in use for centuries. 



The Flannan Isles are a group of six * small islets, about 

 twenty miles w^est of Uig in Lew^is, and form another favourite 

 resort of sea-birds in the breeding-season, especially Puffins 

 and Eiders. The Gannet, however, does not breed here, as is 

 stated in some works. 



Haskeir is a small rock about twelve miles west of North 

 Uistj and on it I found a large colony of Sterna arctica breed- 

 ing, though at a considerable distance from their feeding- 

 grounds. One of the smaller rocks near it is the resort of all 

 the Cormorants for many miles, which are probably attracted 

 by the solitude of the place. I found that many of their nests 

 contained fresh eggs in July, though no one had landed there 

 for some months ; and as there were many young ones nearly 

 fledged, I presume they occasionally rear two broods. Haskeir 

 is the principal resort of the great seals [Halichcerus griseus), 

 which breed there in October and November, and were formerly 

 killed with clubs, every year, as they lay on the rock with their 

 young ones. This wholesale slaughter, to which the men of 

 Uist looked forward with great eagerness, has now been stopped 

 by the proprietor of that island, Sir John Orde, as the seals 

 were in danger of being totally exterminated, and it is almost 

 the only place where the species breeds. I noticed here that 

 none of the nests of Sterna arctica contained more than two 

 eggs, which was also the case in other places I visited, while 

 Sterna fluviatilis, which is also common in the Hebrides, usually 

 lays three eggs. 



South of Haskeir there is no great breeding-place for sea- 

 birds, except the Isles of Barra, which are at the exti'cme south 

 of the Outer Hebrides. Mingalay and Berneray, which are the 

 two best w^oi'th seeing, surpass by far any place in Great Britain, 



* Though another name for this chister of rocks is the " Seveti Hunters," 

 there are only six considerable ones. 



