MEMOIR. XXI 



culars of most of the several incidents on which that experience was 

 based, justifying Hewitson's remark that Wolley had " become as 

 familiar with the king of birds as others are with Crows and 

 Magpies." In the course of this expedition he took with his own 

 hands the eggs from two nests of each species of Eagle (§§ 26, 27, 

 67 and 68) as well as those of an Osprey (§ 82) — all attended by 

 considerable risk. A little later he was joined by his cousin, 

 Mr. Edge, the companion of his continental tour of 1846. Leaving 

 Scotland in the month of June, they sailed for the Fseroes, and 

 passed several Aveeks in those islands, the ornithology of which they 

 were the first of our countrymen to investigate, Wolley's activity 

 and fearlessness in rock-climbing affording him a great advantage 

 in so doing, while those qualities excited the admiration of the 

 islanders, who are themselves proficient in the art. Here too he 

 found a devoted naturalist in Sysselmand Miiller, of Thorshavn, and 

 a scarcely less-valued assistant in his brother official, Sysselmand 

 AVinther. One or both of these gentlemen accompanied Wolley 

 and Mr. Edge in several of their most hazardous exploits, and a 

 friendship was struck up between them only terminated by death. 

 In the course of their tour a nest of the Snow-Bunting was found, 

 and the single eg^ it contained (§ 2401) seems to be the first 

 belonging to that species ever found in so southern a locality, on this 

 side of the Atlantic at least *. 



Golden Eagle, whereas just the contrary has happened ; and, while the former has 

 been well nigh if not wholly extirpated from the mainland of Scotland, the latter 

 is in most districts much more numerous than it was in his day. The reason is 

 plain to those who know the facts. The eyries of the former, being for the most 

 part on the coast, were at the mercy of every one to approach and rifle. Those of 

 the other species were on ground jealously guarded from public access by foresters, 

 whose pecuniary interest it is to keep up the stock, and supply the egg-collector 

 who is williug to pay for what he wants. A very different feeling, too, obtains 

 now among the holders and occupier's of land. Most of them, outwardl}^ at least, 

 follow the example of tlie late Marquess of Breadalbane in giving orders for the 

 proper protection of Eogles, and some take care that those orders are obeyed. This 

 change has been, it is hoped, in time to save the Osprey, while the Golden Eagle 

 has largely beneflted by it ; but access to the localities frequented by the Sea-Eagle 

 being unrestricted its doom has been decided for some years. 



* A paper on the Birds of these islands was read by Wolley in the Xatural 

 History Section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science at its 

 meeting in Edinburgh the folloM'ing year, and was printed in full in Sir William 

 Jardine's ' Contributions to Oruithologv ' for 1800. 



