80 The Oologists' Record, December 1. 1923. 



estimated the number of Gannets at 500, and in 1893 Mr. Robert 

 Drane, of Cardiff, put the number of nests at two hundred and 

 forty. 



As far as I can gather, both parents appear to feed the j^'oung 

 bird, but the time for my observations was all too short, and the 

 westering sun warned me that it was time to be on the move. 



At 7.30 p.m. we got under way, and reluctantly turned our backs 

 on Grassholm. Looking back we saw the racing tide creaming 

 round Grassholm's rocky base, the sun bathing the rocks in its 

 red glow, and above all the Gannets wheeling and fishing. It was 

 a sight given to few to behold, and one which will live long in my 

 memory. At 8.30 p.m. we were again off Skokham Island, and the 

 crying Kittiwakes appeared to be ^settling down for bed like the 

 sober-minded citizens they were. I think we envied them to a 

 certain extent. We had still about sixty miles to run to our base, 

 and in an hour the tide would turn against us. This happened 

 at 9.30 p.m., and at 9.45 p.m., when off Linne}^ Head, we were 

 joined by a solitary Stormy Petrel. All through the night at 

 intervals this little bird followed us up, flitting by in the gloom 

 as we fought the strong current past Flimston Head, Elegug Stacks 

 and St. Gowan's Head, where the cliffs come down sheer into the 

 sea, with no hope of a landing place, and the tide runs like a mill- 

 race. 



The powerful light on Caldy Island seemed to mock us in our 

 efforts with its winking eye, as hour after hour we slowly breasted 

 the current. 



At 3.45 a.m., 31st May, we were abreast of this light, and the 

 tide had once again turned in our favour. 



Some time after this the grey dawn broke, and as we picked up 

 the Lightship a few miles from our base, the sky had turned to 

 crimson. Finally, the sun, dispersing the sea mists, showed us 

 our home Head, with its rows of sitting Guillemots, past which we 

 roared with a flowing tide, and so to our moorings at 6.30 a.m., 

 31st May, after what was to me one of the most interesting trips 

 I ever made in the study of Oology. 



