22 PROCELLARIID^. 



may, perhaps, inhabit Lundy Island, in the Bristol Channel, 

 where the bird is well known under the name of ' Cuckle.' On 

 the Cornish coast, where, according to Couch, it is provincially 

 called ' Skidden,' it is common, especially in autumn, and 

 breeds on some of the Scilly Islands. Along the shores of 

 the British Channel it is generally distributed, becoming rarer 

 in the narrow eastern portion ; but from the coast of Suffolk 

 northwards it is observed in considerable numbers, particu- 

 larly off Flamborough, although no breeding- station is known 

 on the east side of England, or, indeed, of Scotland. On the 

 western side, according to Mr. R. Gray, there are numerous 

 breeding-haunts, especially within the circle of the Inner 

 Hebrides ; and to the westward, on St. Kilda, and on Pabba}^ 

 which is next to Mingalay, where the bird is known by the 

 name of ' Scraib.' Capt. Elwes says (Ibis, 1869, p. 28) 

 that this bird was formerly very common, and the young 

 ones, which were called ' Fachach,' were so highly esteemed 

 that a barrel of them formed part of the rent paid by each 

 crofter in Mingalay to the Macneills of Barra. About a 

 hundred years ago, however, the Puffins, which before were 

 not numerous, began to increase very much, and drove the 

 Shearwaters from the holes which they occupied in the cliffs ; 

 and now they have completely supplanted them, so that only 

 a few pairs of Shearwaters are left in the island of Pabbay. 

 At Bernera, on which a lighthouse has been built, none have 

 nested since 1843. On the island of Rum there is a nursery 

 of this species situated on the face of a hill among broken 

 boulders about a mile from the sea ; but in early times the 

 breeding-place was on the coast, and the Inrds were then 

 collected at the close of the season and salted for winter use. 

 Several other haunts are enumerated by Mr. Gray, who adds 

 that the Shearwaters make their appearance about the 10th 

 of April, remaining until October. In the Orkneys and 

 Shetlands, where the bird is known as the ' Lyrie,' infor- 

 mation respecting the localities where it nests is only to 

 be obtained with difficulty, owing to the estimation in which 

 the young are held by the fishermen. The latter assert that 

 the bird is never seen abroad in the daytime ; but this, as 



