222 BIRD LIFE IN WILD WALES 



crags, and prominences of this wild Welsh coast. 

 All these birds allow of a very near approach, 

 hardly condescending to dive till we ^are all but a 

 boat's length from them. 



On a stack rock standing in mid-ocean, like some 

 grim sentinel, sit a few Herring Gulls and Shags, one 

 of these latter a very curiously marked bird ; indeed, it 

 appears to be of a lightish brown colour, paler on the 

 breast than elsewhere. The Gulls are the first to leave 

 as we approach, launching themselves into mid-air like 

 so many huge snowflakes. The Shags remain longer 

 and fly off clumsily, their long, snake-like necks 

 stretched to their full extent. As we near the island 

 a small party of those curious birds, the Manx Shear- 

 water, skim along the surface of the sea, clipping the 

 waves as it were, well meriting the second part of their 

 name. This species is not generally supposed to breed 

 on St. Margaret's, nor do we find an egg belonging to 

 it this day ; but we think that it clearly must breed 

 there, owing to its close proximity to the island and 

 the time of day (10 a.m.), for then the Shearwater will 

 hardly be far from its " setting " mate, and these we 

 see are probably males. It is rather unusual to see 

 Shearwaters flying about in broad daylight, as it is 

 distinctly a nocturnal species. Further, we are well 

 pleased to see a couple of Stormy Petrels, or Mother 

 Carey's Chickens, as they are familiarly called, but we 

 doubt if this interesting little species breeds just here, 

 though it certainly does do so on a neighbouring 

 island. 



We disembark, and forthwith two of those magni- 

 ficent Gulls, the Great Black-backed, leisurely leave 



