46 APPENDIX: NO. XLI. 
margins of the deep pools in this district, we found the nests of 
Colymbus septentrionalis, raised in a remarkable manner to the 
height of a foot, reminding us of the Swans’ nests on the banks 
of the Thames, a practice I had not seen before in the nidification 
of either of the Colymbi whose nests I know; and here was an 
adaptation to circumstances, for the water was on a level with the 
surrounding moss. 
The Eider Duck, S. mollissima, has of late years been provided 
with little houses to build in on certain islets; but the great Gulls, 
L. marinus, still rob many of their eggs. The quantity of down 
procured in the Faroe Islands is very inconsiderable. 
The three birds which principally tempt the inhabitants to their 
feats of rock climbing are the common Guillemot, U. troile, the 
Razorbill, A. torda, and the Puffin, M. fratercula; but the Razorbill 
is comparatively in small numbers, perhaps not more than one to 
twenty Guillemots. The Puffin is by far the most numerous of 
the three, and swarms in an almost incredible degree. A hand net, 
made like a small shrimp net, is raised for them to fly into as they 
pass; and the sudden exertion upon the grassy slopes gives occasion 
to many fatal accidents. In climbing for Guillemots with the help 
of ropes, accidents very rarely happen. All the mode of proceeding 
in bird catching is just as it was described by Luke Debes 250 
years ago. We were shown a tame Puffin, which was known to be 
twenty years of age; it had lost the triangular plates round the eye. 
We saw several semi-albino varieties. 
I was anxious to see whether there was one or three species of 
Guillemot in the Faroe Islands as has been said. I could not 
distinguish there any Uria briinnichii, but the so called species Uria 
lachrymans was in plenty, as I had also found it in Caithness, 
Sutherlandshire, and the Shetland Isles. It was amongst the other 
Guillemots in the proportion of perhaps one to ten; it lays a similar 
egg, as I ascertained myself in several instances; it was of both 
sexes, and not as the natives thought, of one sex; some of them 
saying it was the male and some the female. I did not find out 
whether or not they paired together; but I could not see any thing 
to lead me to suppose that there existed a specific difference. We 
should bear in mind that very nearly similar markings about the 
head, or their absence, formerly led to the making two species of 
Alca torda. Mr. Gould, though he has figured Uria lachrymans, 
doubted its value as a species, but M.Temminck and Mr. Yarrell 
consider it distinct. 
The Black Guillemot, Uria grylle, the Sea-pigeon or Dovekie of 
the Arctic expeditions, is characteristic of the north, but it extends 
to the islands of the north of Scotland, and even to Ireland and 
Wales it is said. It lays two eggs, under stones, not far above the 
sea. When it has young, on the approach of an intruder, it sits 
making a plaintive noise like that of the Robin. 
Of the two species of Cormorant I may remark, that the young 
is considered almost the best of the sea birds; and my friend and 
