THE OOLOGISTS' RECORD. 



Edited by KENNETH L. SKINNER. 



ALL RIGHTS RKSKRVICD. 



Vol. Ill— No. 4.] [December 1, 1923. 



AN ACCOUNT OF THE GANNETS ON GRASSHOLM 

 ISLAND, OFF PEMBROKESHIRE. 



, By Captain Vivian Hewitt. 



Grassholm Island being at present the only breeding station of 

 Siila bassana on the English or Welsh Coasts, a description of my 

 visit there and its colony of Gannets may prove of interest to 

 readers of The Oologists' Record. 



I made the trip on 30th May, 1922, in a small motor launch, 

 accompanied by my mechanic, and we towed a small light boat 

 behind to enable us to land. We were at the time situated on the 

 coast of South Wales, about 70 miles from Grassholm Island by 

 sea. 



Leaving our base at 9 a.m. on vSOth May, well supplied with food 

 and water, we steered a compass course down the Bristol Channel 

 and, helped by the tide, soon lost sight of land in the haze. 



It was one of those hot, lazy days when the sea itself appears 

 to be almost asleep, and one could see here and there small parties 

 of Uria troille and Alca torda, who, on our approach, would promptly 

 dive, only to re-appear far astern after we had passed the spot. 



From out of the haze at regular intervals came the bellow of 

 the powerful siren on the Helwick Light-ship, sounding like some 

 prehistoric monster, warning the Bristol Channel shipping of the 

 treacherous bank which runs up to Porteynon. As the time wore 

 on it grew fainter and fainter, gradually dying away to a mere 

 whisper as we proceeded on a West-Nor'-West course. Two hours 

 later we picked up Caldy Light-house, about a mile and a-half away, 

 broad on the starboard bow, and from there to Skokham Island 

 had the coast in view practically the whole wa}'. A number of 

 Rissa tridactyla greeted us here, and we changed our course to 

 Nor'-West by West. 



Soon Skokham Island faded away astern in the haze, and the 



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