28o 



A Trip to the Island of Hoy. 



[Sess. 



The following is the list of birds found on and around the 

 island of Hoy : — 



Brambling. 

 Bunting. 



n Snow. 

 Buzzard, Common. 



II Rough-legged. 

 Cormorant. 

 Crow, Carrion. 



1 1 Royston. 

 Curlew. 



Diver, Red-throated. 

 Duck, Eider. 



1 1 Golden-eyed. 



II Long- tailed. 



II Mallard. 



II Scaup. 



II Teal. 



II Widgeon. 

 Dunlin. 

 Eagle, Golden. 

 Falcon, Peregrine. 

 Fieldfare. 

 Goosander. 

 Goose, Brent. 



Grebe, Little. 

 Grouse, Red. 

 Guillemot. 



1 1 Black. 

 Gull, Common. 



II Glaucous. 



II Great Black -hack. 



II Lesser Black-back. 

 Harrier, Hen. 

 Hawk, Sparrow. 

 Heron, Common. 

 Jackdaw. 

 Landrail. 

 Lapwing. 

 Merganser. 

 Merlin. 

 Moor-hen. 

 Owl, Long-eared. 



II Short-eared. 



Oyster-catcher. 



Pipit, Meadow. 



Plover, Golden. 



II Ringed. 



Puffin. 



Raven. 



Razorbill. 



Redshank. 



Redwing. 



Robin. 



Rook. 



Shag. 



Sheerwater, Manx. 



Sheldrake. 



Skua, Richardson's. 



Snipe. 



Song-thrush. 



Sparrow, House. 



Starling. 



Stonechat. 



Tern, Common. 



Turnstone. 



Wagtail, Pied, 



Water-rail. 



Wheatear. 



Woodcock. 



No one can realise the grandeur and sublimity of the 

 cliff scenery of Hoy except by sailing round its base. Care 

 must, however, be taken that only safe boats and practical 

 boatmen are employed, as even in fine weather strong cur- 

 rents and heavy swells are frequently encountered. Sailing 

 close under these precipices for miles, the rocks range from 

 400 to 1200 feet in height, and, being of Old Eed Sand- 

 stone formation, are very rich in colouring, with tints of 

 bright red and yellow. In some places the rocks are appar- 

 ently perpendicular and smooth ; at others rent, riven, and 

 worn by the heavy breakers into long, deep, vertical chasms 

 and caverns, split and worn by the huge rolling breakers 

 dashing their weight on the rock -bound coast. At such 

 places as Eackwick Little, where the cliff lowers, and where 

 the great white-crested waves come tumbling shorewards, it 

 is surprising the distance limpets and other shellfish are 

 propelled across the moorland in a storm. These soon be- 

 come a prey to the hoodie-crow and other predatory birds. 



On the west coast stands the " Old Man," a gigantic pillar 

 of rock rising 450 feet out of the sea, — a sight in itself, not 



