CHAPTER III. 



LUNDY, GRASHOLM, AND SKELLIG. 



Lundy Island — Notices of its " Gannetry " in RoUs of the 

 Thirteenth Century — Its disastrous Modern History — Grasholm 

 on the Welsh Coast — Its Origin not known — Irish Stations — 

 The Little Skellig— The Bull Rock— The latter known to have 

 been used in 1853. 



Lundy Island. 



Its Early History. — Lundy Island is off the north coast 

 of Devonshire, and naturalists are indebted to the 

 learned researches of G. S. Steinman* and T. D. Hardy 

 for unearthing some exceedingly early notices of Gannets 

 breeding there. t These accounts are found in certain 



* " Some Account of the Island of Lnndy." by G. S. Steinman. 

 " Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica," 1837, IV., p. 313-330." It 

 is very probable that further search among Patent Rolls and Hundred 

 RoUs and Inquisitions taken at the deaths of the different lords of Lundy, 

 upon what fell to the lord within his manor by forfeiture, would reveal 

 other early references to tlie birds of this island. 



■j" The late Mr. H. Saunders quotes the antiquary Leland as mentioning 

 Gannets which bred on Lundy in the time of Edward II. (" Brit. Birds," 

 III., p. 157), but the only passage discoverable in Leland which refers to 

 Lundy Island (" Collectanea," Hearne Coll., II., p. 41G) says nothing 

 about the birds there. 



