90 NOTES ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OP THE BELL ROCK. 



lantern, ten blackbirds three only of which were males and 

 three fieldfares. Several of them appeared much fatigued, and 

 after a few preliminary hops round the lantern, settled down 

 on the lee side to have a nap. A fresh breeze blowing at the 

 time, those still on the move were frequently hustled by 

 the wind against the sleepers, who, thus rudely awakened, 

 vigorously resented what they no doubt considered a deliberate 

 attempt to assault, with the result that all hands were at 

 times engaged in a battle royal; the hen "blackies" only 

 engaging with those of their own sex, while the cocks and 

 fieldfares tackled all comers indiscriminately. It was rather 

 amusing to witness the finish between a pair thus engaged. 

 Edging round the narrow pathway in their struggle, they 

 gradually came under the influence of the wind sweeping 

 round the lantern, when suddenly one of them would be 

 wheeled off its feet away into the darkness, its opponent peer- 

 ing after it in evident astonishment, and probably con- 

 gratulating itself on its prowess. The haze, responsible for 

 their appearance here, clearing after midnight, before 3 a.m. 

 they had all resumed their journey shoreward. On the 20th, 

 a pair of grey crows passed, going east, and on the 22nd a 

 heron was seen travelling in the same direction. Again, on 

 the night of the 27th, three hen blackbirds and a starling had 

 the lantern all to themselves. 



The white whelks have now gone into winter quarters, 

 and only a few are to be seen lingering among patches of 

 immature mussels. The black edible whelk, or periwinkle, 

 whose vegetarian habits demand a more inshore life, is here 

 conspicuous by its absence. Occasionally, during the summer 

 months, a very close search reveals a few solitary specimens. 

 Two different varieties of slugs have been much in evidence 

 among the rocks here of late. One of them (Doris coccinea), 

 resembling in shape and colour a section of an orange, I have 

 already described ; the other somewhat resembles the common 

 snail. Furnished with anterior horns and fleshy spines, 

 ranged along the back, it curls itself up when out of water 

 like a hedgehog. Earlier in the season they were mostly of a 



