70 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 
there being upon Foula as many as sixty pairs of this fine 
bird, but these I rejected as unreliable on being told by 
the proprietor that he understood there were only about 
sixteen pairs. It is evident, however, from reports this year, 
that the first-named figure must have been nearly correct. 
Though it is gratifying to know there are so many, it is 
impossible that this happy state of affairs can continue, unless 
measures are taken to protect the birds, both from the natives, 
who have within the last few years made it a regular practice 
to take almost every egg laid, and still more from parties 
from England and Ireland, by whom several pairs of great 
skuas were destroyed this year. The former practice seems 
difficult to stop, but a conviction and heavy fine under the 
“ Wild Birds Protection Act,’ would, I am sure, have a good 
effect upon the second class of offenders. 
The Unst colony holds its own, and has indeed increased 
a pair or two in the last few years, now amounting to nine 
pairs. On the old ground on the mainland no less than five 
pairs attempted to rear a brood this year, but eggs and young 
were taken, and old birds shot, and the others driven away, 
‘so that it is questionable if any return next year. 
66. Fulmar Petrel (Fulmarus glacialis)—The new colony 
of this species on Foula seems to be increasing, and now 
amounts to about seventy pairs, a good deal scattered, and, 
according to my informant (a native), very difficult to get at; 
but as the Foula men, lke those in Papa and Unst, have 
practically given up climbing, probably this inaccessibility 
is a good deal exaggerated. One was observed circling 
round the Lyra Skerry on the occasion of my visit to Papa 
Stour. 
67. Manx Shearwater (Pufinus anglorum).—The principal 
object of my ascent of the Lyra Skerry was to ascertain if the 
reports in old authors on Shetland—such as Brand, 1701, and 
Low, 1770—of this Skerry being “inhabited by vast numbers 
of shearwaters” held good at the present day. Questioning 
the men who rowed me to the stack, I found they were 
totally ignorant of any such bird; nor was “Long Peter,” 
the climber, any better acquainted with it. On reaching 
the summit, and making a careful examination of the place, 
