BIRD- CA TCHING. 4 1 3 



same time over the precipice, without any stay for his feet, and 

 conversing with the other, as he descends to a depth of nearly 

 four hundred feet. A bird-catcher, on finding himself amongst 

 the Fulmars' nests, took four and with two in each hand, con- 

 trived, nevertheless, to hold the rope as he ascended ; and, 

 striking his foot against the rock, threw himself out from the 

 face of the precipice, and returning with a bound, would again 

 fly out, capering and shouting, and playing all sorts of tricks. 

 Frightful as such a display must be to those unaccustomed to 

 it, accidents are extremely rare ; and the St. Kildians seem to 

 think the possibility of a fatal termination to these exploits 

 almost out of the question. 



It is indeed astonishing to what a degree habit and practice, 

 with steady nerves, may remove danger. From the island of 

 the South Stack above mentioned, boys may be seen frequently 

 scrambling by themselves ; or, held on by an urchin or two of 

 their own age, letting themselves down the picturesque precipice 

 opposite the island by a piece of rope, so slender and apparently 

 rotten, that the wonder is why it does not snap at the first 

 strain. Yet, without a particle of fear, heedless of consequences, 

 they will swing themselves to a ledge barely wide enough to 

 admit the foot of a goat, and thence pick their way with 

 or without the rope, to pillage the nest of a Gull, which, if 

 aware of its own powers, might flap them headlong to the 

 bottom. 



Here, too, as in St. Kilda, accidents are said to be of rare 

 occurrence, though of course they do occasionally happen ; but 

 escapes sufficiently appalling to make the blood run cold to 

 hear of, are common enough. 



The first we shall mention happened about two miles from 

 the South Stack, on the rocky coast of Rhoscolin. A lady, 

 living near the spot, sent a boy in search of samphire, with 

 a trusty servant to hold the rope at the top. While the boj 

 was dangling midway between sky and water, the servant, 

 who was unused to his situation, whether owing to a sudden 

 dizziness from looking downward on the boy's motions, or 

 misgivings as to his own powers of holding him up, felt a cold, 



