to the Blasket Islands, ^c. 9 



the island we could see that two sides of the rock were 

 covered with the birds sitting on their nests_, so close together 

 that it looked as if a heavy fall of snow had just come on. 

 Around us countless myriads of Guillemots^ Puffins^ and 

 Razorbills^ besides innumerable Gulls of several species^ 

 were flying and settling on the water. We rowed towards a 

 side of the rock where the surf seemed less heavy than else- 

 where^ several seals following in our wake. My climber was 

 the first to land^ and was soon followed by myself and 

 another man_, whom I had brought with me to help. The 

 noise of the birds was terrific, and their number so vast 

 that at first we felt quite dazed. However, we soon pulled 

 ourselves together and made at once for the colony of Gannets, 

 the nesting-grounds of which are not unlike the Pyramids. 

 The rock forms a series of high ledges arranged like steps, 

 upon which the nests are placed so close together that it is 

 impossible to walk without treading upon the eggs. On the 

 top of the rock there is a flat space about twenty yards square, 

 which is entirely covered with nests. We only found one 

 egg in a nest, and this was jealously guarded by the old 

 birds j indeed, so great was their devotion to their treasure 

 that they did not move on pur approach, and even allowed 

 us to catch them round the neck. I noticed that they seemed 

 unable to rise from a flat surface, and tliat in order to fly 

 they were obliged to precipitate themselves over the ledges. 

 The nests were made of various articles, mostly grass and 

 rushes, but several also included pieces of rag and paper, the 

 straw of wine-bottles, and pieces of cork. They are not very 

 large for so big a bird, and somewhat resemble the nests of 

 the Little Grebe, without the covering of moss which that 

 bird places over its nest. Some of the nests contained newly 

 hatched young, which were generally surrounded with several 

 sorts of fish, brought by the old birds. I estimated the 

 number of birds breeding on the rock at several thousand 

 pairs. 



There is a magnificent view from the top of the Little 

 Skellig. Far away to the north lie the Blasket Islands on 

 the horizon, while as far to the south lie the Bull and Calf 



