HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 97 



surroundings. A glimpse of sunlight was ardently wished 

 for. At noon the air cleared and the land was seen abeam, 

 about twenty miles off, and when at four o'clock we 

 anchored off Gull Island, the wind had died away to a'calm, 

 and the fog gathered, but not so thick as before. Gull. 

 Island gets its name from the number of those birds that 

 breed upon it ; it is a mass of rock somewhat resembling 

 Otter Island, and lies a few hundred yards from the shore,., 

 a tiny shingly bay offers easy landing, and towards this we 

 were soon pulling in a couple of boats, with the intention 

 of procuring eggs, large numbers of which are generally to 

 be found in the hollows of the low-lying rocks, or amongst 

 the tufts of coarse grass growing in scattered clumps on 

 the tops and ridges of detached boulders. 



Our landing was the signal for a terrible uproar among 

 the gulls, almost deafening us with their angry screams, as 

 they darted downwards, or wheeled and circled above us 

 till they darkened the air. Thousands of puffins (Arctica 

 fatercula and Arctica borealis], guillemots (Uria grylle 

 and Uria troila], razorbills (Alca torda), and little auks 

 (A lea alle) flew round the rock in continuous streams from 

 the sea to their nests. Terns (Steroia hirundo] shrieked 

 in sympathy, as with elegant, wavy flight they dipped and 

 rose like gigantic swallows among the angry multitude, and 

 the continued whistling of a thousand wings found a deep 

 bass in the hoarse croak of the puffins. Every ledge and 

 ridge of rocks was crowded with regular lines of snow-white 

 breasts, while from each cave and crevice issued swarms of 

 guillemots and shags. The cormorant alone was absent. A 

 solitary raven soared uneasily above the highest pinnacle 

 of the main rock, at whose base a couple of water-wagtails 

 ran unconcernedly to and fro amongst the seaweed. 



There were many nests, but only fourteen eggs rewarded 

 our search, though it was June loth. The main rock 

 being inaccessible, we were unable to overhaul the resorts 

 of the more cunning puffins and guillemots, who, high up in 

 crevices, were beyond our reach, so, after shooting a few 



H 



