TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 127 
By means of the albuminized glass plates, the preparation of which has been 
brought to such perfection by Messrs. Ross and Thomson of Edinburgh, a trans- 
parent and very permanent negative picture is thus procured, from which any num-~- 
ber of positive prints may be taken. 
εν This process seems to be peculiarly adapted to the illustration of sections of recent 
and fossil woods, and other well-defined objects not requiring a very high mag- 
nifying power ; for more delicate tissues the Daguerreotype seems to be preferable, 
as the silvered plates are more sensitive to the action of light. 
» Some dissections of insects, portrayed in both ways, were exhibited to the 
Section. 
On the Birds of the Faroé Islands. By J. Wou.xy (of Beeston). 
_ In illustration of the abundance of certain kinds of food, the phenomenon of the 
sudden rise of a compact shoal of small marine animals, probably crustaceous, was 
mentioned ; which, on the authority of an intelligent native, has given origin to the 
belief in the existence of the huge flat sea-monster, the Kraken of Pontoppidan, 
called in Faroé Kraka, or Teara-bue. The particulars given by the Bishop, and those 
related by credulous eye-witnesses in the islands, are mostly consonant with this 
explanation. Such are the choice of particular localities, the seaweed-bank appear- 
ance, the birds hovering over it, and the fishes feeding upon its dung, with the 
calmness and heat of the weather ; the latter also necessary for a sight of another of 
the sea-monsters, the Soe-ormen, for which the effects of electrical jets of air, little 
whirlwinds, or waterspouts, have undoubtedly been mistaken by some at least of 
Pontoppidan’s witnesses. 
In a list of thirty-six birds found breeding in 1849, there were the names of only 
two not known to breed in Britain, the Snow Bunting, Emberiza Nivalis, and the 
Purple Sandpiper, Tringa maritima, both of which frequent the tops of mountains, 
The Fulmar, Procellaria glacialis, about ten years ago began to establish itself on 
the cliffs of Faroé for the first time. The Whimbrel, Numenius pheopus, and the 
Great Skua, Lestris catarrhactes, the latter preserved at its two stations in Britain 
only by the constant care of the proprietors, are, from their numbers, most charac- 
teristic of the FaroéIsles. Reasons were given for not considering Uria lachrymans, 
Gould, distinct from U. troile. One occurs in about every ten Guillemots on the 
rocks of Sutherland, Caithness, Shetland, and Faroé. The methods of bird-catching 
are just as they were described by Luke Debes nearly 200 years ago. 
Accidents in climbing for Guillemots with the ropes very rarely occur; but in 
catching Puffins, Mormon fratercula, which is done with a kind of landing-net on the 
slippery slopes, they are more frequent. Guillemots, and their congeners, young 
Cormorants, and some other sea-birds, are an important article of food, and when 
properly cooked, as at the houses of the clergy, are even a delicacy to English tastes. 
Several traditionary particulars respecting the Great Auk, Alca impennis, were col- 
lected. After many observations on the habits of the different birds, their relative 
numbers, their distribution in breeding stations, and the etymology of their several 
local names, Mr. Wolley concluded by deducing a lesson from the mode in which 
they are treated by the human inhabitants. Although numbers are caught at stated 
times, yet. on the whole they rather increase, than diminish, for they are not con- 
stantly annoyed as they are round the coasts of Britain. Both the established rights 
of the bird-climbers and the interests of our coast navigation, require that the sea- 
birds should be protected at their breeding-places, where they cannot or will not take 
care of themselves. In foggy weather they warn vessels of their approach to the 
dangerous headlands which they chiefly frequent. Already they are very greatly 
diminished in numbers, and the persecution is constantly increasing. On the York- 
shire cliffs slaughtering parties arrive by trainsful. All the birds will soon be 
destroyed or driven from our inhospitable shores, unless the Legislature or other 
powers should think the matter worthy of their attention, as it is to be hoped they 
will. , The protection afforded to them in the vicinity of one or two lighthouses on 
the west coast, and also round the Bass Rock and Ailsa Crag, are pleasing exceptions 
to the general rule, and show what may be done. 
