lona and Its Sound 



and to its sound, and there would come an end to the gales 

 from the west and south-west gales which on one occasion 

 prevented the ferry-boat from crossing for a week or more, 

 so that no inter-communication was possible between the 

 island and the far side of the sound, though this is scarce 

 over a mile in width. 



Even before March is come the ravens on Eilean nam 

 Ban that island set out in the sound and breaking the force 

 of the tide are repairing their nest, and with each morning 

 and evening may be seen crossing over to Fionphort as they 

 make for their feeding ground on the Ross of Mull. In 

 former times the red-billed chough was wont to share the 

 rocks with them, but he has now gone; indeed, has been 

 banished from the whole of the Hebridean coasts, and nowa- 

 days is but a fast fading memory. 



And then, during fine still weather of a March month, 

 one would see, curling from either shore of the sound, the 

 blue smoke of the burning tangle seaweed, with pungent 

 though pleasant smell hanging over the waters; and as 

 April gave place to May there would be many birds amongst 

 the rocky islands of the sound. Here would the grey crow 

 the "Feannaig" of the Gael build her wool-lined nest 

 in some niche of the rock, with a deep carpet of heather 

 beneath to break the fall of the young should they over- 

 balance at the nest's edge. On the pebbly beach the oyster 

 catcher would scrape out her primitive nesting hollow and 

 deposit therein her three speckled eggs, nor would the grey 

 crow touch them, for it is a firm and constant law in the 

 bird world that no individual preying by habit on its fellows 

 shall disturb those birds nesting near it. Is it, I wonder, 

 that they have some fellow feeling for their neighbours; or 

 is it to secure for themselves a measure of quietness during 

 their nesting time? 



It is with the coming of May also that a new bird makes 

 his appearance at lona's Sound the strong-flying solan, or 

 the "sulair," as he is known in the Gaelic tongue. With tire- 



47 



