NOTES ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THK BELL ROCK. 69 



appears the bluff outline of the Bass Rock, while away in the 

 far distance North Berwick Law cleaves the sky-line. Away 

 to St Abb's Head, on the left, the Haddington coast stretches 

 hazy and indistinct, while the green, grassy slopes of Fife, with 

 the spires of St Andrews faintly visible, fill in the right of 

 the picture. Laying hold of the man-ropes suspended in the 

 doorway, and turning to the right, the Forfarshire coast is 

 seen extending from the Tay in a long unbroken line, with 

 the snow-clad Grampians towering majestically in the back- 

 ground. Right in front of us are the smoking stalks of 

 Arbroath. Two conspicuous white dots in the foreground 

 mark the pierheads, in front of which an impatient "flaxer" 

 cruises in glorious uncertainty of ever being permitted to 

 fulfil her charter and deposit her Riga-run freight on the 

 right side of the bar. This is the panorama from the view- 

 point of our doorway on a clear day, but, as seen of late 

 through sheets of flying foam, it reminds one of a cine- 

 matograph display, in which the films are far from perfect. 



On the first Sunday of the year hundreds of gulls were 

 seen resting on the surface of the sea, half a mile nor'-west 

 from here, evidently by their movements enjoying a feast of 

 "fry," and in all probability proclaiming the presence of 

 herring shoals. During the gale of 10th January over a 

 dozen gannets were seen swooping and diving, presumably at 

 herring. Only with difficulty could we maintain our position 

 on the balcony, owing to the force of the wind, yet these 

 birds circled and dived amid the turmoil of wind and water 

 with a graceful ease and precision that seemed truly wonder- 

 ful considering the force of wind they occasionally beat up 

 against, or, as they turned broadside on, were wafted without 

 the least exertion in the opposite direction. The first week of 

 February saw hundreds of these birds back to their breeding 

 haunts on the Bass Rock. From the deck of the " Relief " 

 steamer lying within a few hundred yards their movements are 

 clearly seen. Each projecting ledge of the precipitous cliffs 

 is tenanted by some members of the cackling crowd, their 

 heads see-sawing from side to side. The birds are evidently 

 engaged in brisk conversation, a monopoly of which is certainly 



