ST. KILDA. 147 



tive that the islanders of the seventeenth century could 

 not have caught all the young Gannets there were, or 

 more, let us say, than a tenth part of the old ones. Such 

 a number as Martin's 22,600 requires therefore that there 

 must have been about 45,000 Gannets altogether, if not 

 more, inhabiting the St. Kilda islands in 1697. Now there 

 is no reason to think there are less at present tlian there 

 were in the seventeenth century. The contrary is more 

 probable, at least since 1900, when the young ones ceased 

 to be worth collecting. Accordingly there must have been 

 some unintentional exaggeration on Martin's part, though 

 in most things he was an accurate observer and recorder. 

 But here he must have been misled by the tales of the 

 natives. Whilst admitting it was so, I think we may at any 

 rate believe in from 12,000 to 15,000 Gannets having been 

 gathered, which latter is the figure Wilson gives us. 



Accepting as the status of this Gannetry now, the figures 

 put forward by Dr. Wigles worth, though I think they 

 must be under the mark, let us reckon that there are 

 nov/ at least 30,000 Gannets in the St. Kilda islands ; of 

 which, following the proportions indicated by him, and 

 acquiesced in by the late Professor Newton, 16,000 may be 

 assigned to the island of Borrera, 8,000 to Stack Lii, and 

 about 6,000 to Armine. 



PiLffins and other Birds .—W\t\\ regard to the other species 



L 'J 



