TJie Summer Birds of the Sicmmer Islands. 57 



34. Fkatercula arctica (Linn.). 



(Puffin.) 



Fairly common, and nests on both Bottle Island and Eilean 

 Dubh. The Puffin is also a late breeder in these parts, for 

 when I visited the latter island on the 7th June, I never even 

 saw the bird ; while on the 25th Mr Bonar found it nesting 

 in burrows in close proximity to a colony of Shags. 



36. Procellaria pelagica, Linn. 



(Storm-Petrel.) 



On the 4th June I found a wing of this bird on Glasleac- 

 beg, and a few minutes afterwards my companion obtained 

 the head with the other wing attached. There is therefore 

 a strong probability that the bird nests on that island. 



Such is the concise account of our exploration of the 

 avifauna of the Summer Islands during the month of June 

 1897. I need hardly submit that our sojourn in the district 

 was so short that we could not expect important results. 

 The poverty of the list is striking ; nevertheless, poor as it is 

 I am of opinion that, so far as breeding species are concerned, 

 it is not likely to be largely augmented. My conclusion, 

 therefore, is that during the nesting-season these islands 

 offer little attraction to ornithologists. In autumn the 

 case may be different; but even if they lay on the great 

 migration route, the Summer Islands do not possess a food- 

 supply sufficient to make them specially attractive. 



As may be inferred from my numerous references to him, 

 I am largely indebted to my friend, the Rev. Mr Bonar, for 

 material. That gentleman's much longer stay in the neigh- 

 bourhood and his comparatively long acquaintance with it, 

 rendered his assistance of exceptional value. 



