NOVEMBER 1903. 



SUNDAY, 1st. A flat calm. A pleasant change, indeed, after 

 our recent experience, and one which has fortunately continued 

 for the greater part of the month. Fish, which had main- 

 tained a safe distance during the turmoil of last month, 

 now ventured within catching distance, and several good takes 

 were had. After the middle of the month heavy seas again 

 drove them out of reach into deep water. Those that were 

 caught were seen to be gorged with soil half an inch in length, 

 resembling a piece of white thread with a black dot on either 

 side at one end representing the eyes. Amongst the first that 

 were taken the small jellyfish cydippe pileus seemed to 

 have been their principal diet, but latterly the soil appeared 

 to be preferred to the medusae. Outside the breakers they 

 are still occasionally seen playing on the surface in the even- 

 ings. "Playing" is scarcely correct, as their play is, in 

 reality, strict attention to business, and their appearance on 

 the surface merely denotes their having overleaped themselves 

 in pursuit of their legitimate prey. Our flock of eider ducks, 

 much larger than it has been for several years back, now 

 numbers 120. Amongst the smothering breakers they seem 

 to be in their glory, and are busily engaged in clearing off" the 

 immature mussels that have escaped the voracity of the white 

 whelks. On the 2nd, the first two longtails were seen, exactly 

 a week earlier than last year, but their numbers are being but 

 tardily reinforced, as they only totalled six at the end of the 

 month. Though the main body of the solan geese or gannets* 

 left their breeding haunts on the Bass Rock on the 5th of the 

 month for the fishing grounds in the Mediterranean it is 

 said occasional stragglers are still seen in our vicinity. 



On the night of the 8th we had a few migrants on the 



