26 Capt. Elvves on the Bird- Stations 



except St. Kilda^ both in the magnificence of their rock scenery, 

 and in the number of birds by which they are inhabited. 



In Berneray (or Barra Head, as it is generally called, to dis- 

 tinguish it from the numerous other islands of the same name) 

 I had the good fortune to stay for four days in the height of 

 the breeding-season ; and as the only account of the place ever 

 published, so far as I know, is a short notice of it by Professor 

 Magillivray (Br. B. v. p. 351), a few more words about it may 

 perhaps be interesting. 



The cliffs which form the south coast of the island culminate 

 in a point at the south-west, on the extreme edge of which is 

 built the lighthouse, at an elevation of nearly seven hundred feet. 

 On both sides of the lighthouse is a deep chasm, reaching down 

 to the sea ; and the whole of these rocks, for more than a mile, 

 are as thickly crowded with sea-birds as they can well be. 



It was the grandest sight I ever experienced, to look out of 

 the window of the lighthouse on a very stormy day and see 

 oneself hanging, as it were, over the ocean, surrounded on three 

 sides by a fearful chasm, in which the air was so thickly crowded 

 with birds as to produce the appearance of a heavy snowstorm ; 

 whilst the cries of these myriads, mingled with the roar of the 

 ocean and the howling of the tremendous gusts of wind coming 

 up from below as if forced through a blast-pipe, made it almost 

 impossible to hear a person speak. 



The most abundant species were the Puffin, Razorbill, Guille- 

 mot, and Kittiwake, which I have named in the order iu which 

 they tenanted the rocks, the Puffins making their burrows from 

 the top to about halfway down, whilst the Guillemots and 

 Kittiwakes crowded on ledges almost within reach of the spray. 

 There are only three families on Berneray besides the light- 

 house-keepers ; and though they do not look on birds with the 

 same interest as the St.-Kildians do, yet they kill a great number 

 as food for themselves and the crews of the boats which come 

 from Islay to fish for cod and ling. 



Their favourite method of fowling is quite different from that 

 pursued anywhere else, and is highly successful, as I have 

 known a man get six hundred sea-birds in six or eight hours. 

 On a very windy day he climbs about halfway down the cliff, 



