THE BASS ROCK 233 



as in fact happened to one of our party, who, having with 

 difficulty mounted the steep ascent, was obHged to He down 

 and recover himself before proceeding further. This is due 

 to the fact that young birds, old birds, nests, eggs, everything 

 connected with the Gannet in this very crowded nursery, 

 has a strong taint of ammonia. When the wind is strong 

 the fishermen say they can perceive a pungent smell 

 proceeding from the Bass, and its fish-eating inhabitants, 

 when miles away at sea. This obnoxious odour is augmented 

 by the liquid arising from rain and spray, mixed with the 

 excreta of the birds, with which the rocks are bespattered, 

 and the undigested remains of fish, which the old Gannets 

 bring home, and throw up — the large fish being ejected 

 singly — the small ones sometimes in parcels. These fish 

 are left on the ledge, and as the young Gannets, when that 

 is the case, will never, I believe, touch them, they rapidly 

 decay and putrefy. To this is added the occasional carcass 

 of a dead Gannet, and the smell of the nests themselves, 

 which, according to Mr. Booth, who probably descended 

 the ledges much lower than I did, give forth a steam under 

 the rays of the summer sun after a wet morning, which is 

 positively overpowering. *f 



* " Rough Notes," Vol. III. 



■j" In South Africa the manurial deposits of Gannets and other sea-birds 

 whicli }jreed on flat islands is held of the highest value, but the climate 



