134 WILD LIFE OF SCOTLAND 



the catch, in wild and out - of - the - way quarters, 

 added a touch of the ludicrous. The impression 

 of the small deep-set window, in a certain un- 

 mortared and tumble-down cabin, into which two 

 heads were often thrust, in the vain attempt to see 

 if there was anything fresh, will not soon fade. 



The common tern drops more and more behind ; 

 until only the Arctic form is left. This is Shet- 

 land's southern migrant. The northern migrants, 

 which come in the winter, are away within the Arctic 

 Circle; the great glaucous and Iceland gulls following 

 the whalers, and that shy snowbird the ivory gull, 

 farther north, keeping company with the walrus. 



The common gulls of the North Sea remain 

 undiminished in numbers ; while the rarer species, 

 such as the lesser, and greater black-backed gulls, 

 become common. If there is any advantage, 

 where all abound, then the local kittiwake be- 

 comes the dominant form. In incredible numbers 

 it occupies every available ledge of these stupend- 

 ous breeding-places. 



A like increase is observable in other sea birds. 

 We learned that, in the latitude of the Firth of Forth, 

 we were simply among the outliers, or outswimmers 

 of the divers, guillemots, and razorbills, and were 

 for the first time coming in contact with the main 



