THE COMMON GUILLEMOT. 299 



Broadhaven Bay a small colony is seen on the rocks there, 

 and another at the Eaven's Heugh ; further on at Thrummie 

 Carr we find another occupying the most westerly breeding 

 place of the Guillemot on the coast of Berwickshire. 



Dr. Johnston of Berwick, in his address to the Berwick- 

 shire Naturalists' Club on its first anniversary meeting held 

 at Coldstream, 19th September 1832, referring to a visit of 

 the Club to St. Abb's Head in July of that year, remarks 

 that : " Many of the rocks are insulated, of a pyramidal 

 form, and soar to a great height. The bases of most are 

 solid, but in some pierced through and arched. They are 

 covered with the dung of innumerable flocks of birds which 

 resort here annually to breed, and fill every little projec- 

 tion, every hole which will give them leave to rest. Multi- 

 tudes were swimming about, others swarmed in the air and 

 stunned us with the variety of their croaks and screams. 

 Kittiwakes, Sea-mews, and Black-headed Gulls, Guillemots, 

 Auks, and Corvorants are among the species which resort 

 hither." ^ 



In his " Notes on some of the Birds found at St, Abb's 

 Head on the 20th of June 1851," Mr. Archibald Hepburn 

 states that : " The Guillemot ( Uria troile) breeds in count- 

 less thousands ; ledge above ledge was crowded with birds 

 sitting on their solitary egg laid on the bare rock, and at 

 the report of a gun the birds would waddle to the edge : 

 springing downwards with outstretched legs to break their 

 fall, they sped away on rapid pinion to the open sea. On 

 approaching the base of one of the stupendous cliffs a large 

 flock of these birds, which were reposing on a rocky shelf a 

 foot or two above the water, dashed into the sea ; some 



of the night, but needed nane to wake us, for soon be the daylight appeared there 

 was sic a noise of fowls on the craig and about us, because of their young anes that 

 we were almost pressed to launch out." — Melville's Autobiography, pj). 169 170. 

 1 Hist. Ber. Nat. Club, vol. i. i^p. 5, 6. 



