i905-i9°6.] A Trip to the Island of Hoy. 279 



home of the peregrine falcon. Beyond the Sneuk-head the 

 cliff gradually lowers to the township of Eackwick, which 

 is beautifully situated in the extremity of a valley closed 

 in on two sides by tremendous precipices, — one the Sneuk- 

 head already mentioned, and the other Eora Head, near the 

 Old Man of Hoy. The sun, like a ball of fire, had sunk 

 beneath a shoreless horizon, which warned us to retrace our 

 steps homewards. In that northern latitude, however, light 

 does not fade till long after the setting of the sun. The 

 fiery-red gleam lingered in the western sky, and it was some 

 time ere darkness set in. Earlier in the season it is scarcely 

 ever dark. On the way home white heather, stag's -horn 

 moss, and other plants were gathered to take to Edinburgh. 

 I have traversed many moors in Scotland, but nowhere have 

 I seen such a profusion of white heather as in the Island 

 of Hoy. This freak of nature is greatly prized since the pub- 

 lication of the novel ' White Heather ' by the late William 

 Black, and is gathered and sent to friends in all parts of 

 the world. 



During the next few days I explored most parts of the 

 island, and was chiefly interested in the very large variety 

 of bird-life which came under my notice. It is impossible 

 to dwell at length on the numerous species of the feathered 

 tribe found in this island, but some of them call for more 

 than a passing remark. When grouse -shooting I was in- 

 terested in coming upon the nesting- place of a colony of 

 Richardson's skua. The young birds were able to fly, but 

 somehow did not seem to leave the locality where they had 

 been hatched. The parent birds also flew round regardless 

 of our presence, as if wondering why we had intruded on 

 their solitude. The habits of the skua are rather interest- 

 ing. For hours I watched them on the sea in search of 

 their prey, but in no case did I observe them take the 

 trouble to fish for themselves. No sooner, however, did one 

 notice a common gull successful in catching a fish, than 

 the skua dashed after it and pursued it like a hawk, till the 

 frightened bird disgorged its recently-swallowed prey. With 

 the rapidity of lightning the skua then darted after the fish, 

 and in most cases secured the prize before it reached the 

 water. 



