COMPETITION BETWEEN GUILLEMOTS 197 



bird, recently caught by the swell and thrown 

 upon the shore, lying side by side with the 

 remains of others that had previously succumbed 

 to starvation — on every side evidence of the 

 devastation wrought by the Atlantic. May not 

 some of this destruction have been brought 

 about by the nests having been placed upon 

 the lower ledges within reach of an exceptionally 

 heavy sea ? Hence much depends upon the 

 nature of the rock-formation, and many a 

 mighty precipice, even though it may fulfil 

 the first and third condition, is nevertheless 

 valueless as a breeding station. 



Finally, the young bird must occupy a ledge 

 from which it can reach the water in safety. 

 There is much difference of opinion as to the 

 manner in which it leaves the ledge, but all 

 agree that it does so before it is capable of 

 sustained flight. If, then, the face of the cliffs 

 were made up of a series of broken precipices, or 

 if the rocks at the base projected out into the 

 water, or if detached rocks abounded in the 

 waters beneath, the mortality amongst the chicks 

 would no doubt be considerable. 



The coast-line of Co. Donegal will illustrate 

 the foregoing remarks. On the southern and 

 western side of the Slieve League promontory 

 there is no real Guillemot station ; only on the 

 northern side — the quartzite in the vicinity of 

 Tormore — are the birds to be found in large 

 numbers. Northwards from here, a wild and 

 rugged coast is passed over before other stations 

 are reached — at the eastern end of Tory Island 



