THE FAROES AND ICELAND 267 



come up again. They will often cram themselves so full of 

 fish that they are not in a state to rise again from the water. 

 Early in April they begin to build their nests, generally 

 to build to an old nest, which is of the same material and 

 solidity as a Kittiwake's, and laid in the same way on 

 projecting knobs on the cliffs. The nest is nearly as high 

 as a man's knees. On the 14th of April they lay one egg, 

 which is like a Skarf's [Cormorant's], in proportion to the 

 bird's size, and the shell overlaid with a peculiar calcareous 

 coat. In general there are many nests close together, 

 though Solans do not agree well, when they sit on their 

 nest. They breed very unevenly, in that some young are 

 ready to fly, while others are newly crept out of the eggs. 

 The young are never ready to fly before the 8th of September. 

 Until the 29th of September is the general time to take 

 the young, but there are often many left behind after that 

 day. When the young leave the nest the old fly with them. 

 Sometimes one may see Solans sitting about the 14th 

 October, and one sees them flying near the Holm until 

 Advent. ...... 



The catch of the old Solans begins on the 25th March. 

 (' Ojesulan,' that is Solans until 4 years old, sit first about 

 Olai [St. Olave's day] 29th July.) For the catch to be very 

 prosperous, they must go on it with a northerly wind and 



