1889-90.] Stray Notes on the Birds of Anglesea. 371 



Before concluding these random notes it would be well to 

 call your attention, and that shortly, to one of the most inter- 

 esting parts of the Baron Hill estate — viz., Puffin Island. 

 This rock, for it is not of great extent, lies about a quarter 

 to half a mile from the shore, opposite the lighthouse at Pen- 

 men deer-park, and not very far distant from the partial 

 ruins of Penmon Priory, a curious old edifice which has great 

 attractions for the archseologist. The Priory is said to be of 

 ancient date, but is now partly used as a church and also as 

 a gamekeeper's house, the walls of the latter being panelled 

 with very old oak, to wliich, however, a somewhat fictitious 

 age is given. We were unable to examine this interesting 

 place thoroughly, as the gamekeeper's wife was dangerously 

 ill, and not expected to recover ; and it was with much sorrow 

 that I heard quite lately that the keeper himself, along with 

 three other employees on the estate, were drowned in the 

 Menai Strait by the capsizing of their boat during a squall. 

 The Priory possesses, along with many other similar religious 

 houses, what is known as a " wishing well " — a clear sparkling 

 pool, surrounded by a little chamber cut out of the solid rock ; 

 and until lately it was the ciistom for folks to come and drop 

 a trifling offering into the water, at the same time repeating 

 some wish aloud — the bulk of those, so far as the fair sex 

 were concerned, having reference to matrimonial aspirations. 



The coast-line at this point of the island is rugged and pre- 

 cipitous, but the cliffs are not of any great height, and give 

 shelter chiefly to gulls and oyster-catchers, but on crossing the 

 narrow channel to the island we find a much greater variety 

 of sea-birds. Puffins sat in rows on the rugged ledges, or 

 darted out from crevices as if they had been shot from a can- 

 non ; guillemots and razor-bills were very numerous, besides 

 herring -gulls, kittiwakes, and oyster -catchers. Among the 

 smaller species were the ringed plover and common sandpiper, 

 rock- and meadow-pipits, while house-martins built their clay 

 habitations under the overhanging crags. A day or two could 

 be pleasantly and profitably spent here, as in addition to the 

 above-mentioned, all of which were observed during a short 

 half-hour, numerous other sea-birds occur. It may interest 

 members of our Society to know that this island is leased by 

 a biological society in Liverpool, the members of which come 



