52 Alexander Goodman More. [1354 



narrow ridge, and the other an isolated pyramidal needle; 

 and there is no better way of realizing the stupendous 

 height than to look first at one of these, and after calcu- 

 lating the distance, to carry your eye again tq> the water. 

 At first I think the very magnitude makes the eye deceive 

 itself, and underrate the height. 



"Scores of Gulls were wheeling round in clamorous in- 

 dignation, while the cliffsmen were following their avoca- 

 tion not far from the tower, and ever and anon a little Puffin 

 or Guillemot would shoot out and describe a circle, only 

 to return to the cliff their quick, straightforward progress 

 very different from the Gulls. The birds seen were Her- 

 ring Gull (a few), Kittiwake (thousands), Puffin (a few), 

 Guillemot (plenty), Razorbill (plenty), Chough and Jackdaw 

 (a few), Kestrel (several), Peregrine (one), Cormorant (a few). 

 Many Eagles are said to breed near Hag's Head, in a place 

 quite inaccessible from the cliffs, retreating as it descends : 

 one is seen rarely at Moher. The Rockdove is said to 

 inhabit the caves. 



" The cliffsmen form a company of fourteen, with a cap- 

 tain of long experience from his youth up, and still said to 

 be the best climber. They are seated in a loop at the end, 

 and take the young birds in nooses at the extremity of a 

 rod of some 12 feet. A man brings up four score, some- 

 times more, at a haul. All I saw were young Kittiwakes. 

 The birds are boiled down for oil, and the flesh eaten after- 

 wards by the men. They consider forty birds a-piece an 

 average day's work, and these will produce one bottle of 

 oil, worth two shillings. The season lasts about two months, 

 and their earnings average one shilling per day. The oil 

 is said to be good for bruises, etc. ; the feathers are also 

 picked for sale. The names the birds go by are worth 

 notice : 



The* Puffin is called ' Parrot/ 

 Razorbill 'Puffin/ 

 Guillemot < Cliff bird/ 



The Puffins are said to resort to the green grassy ledges 

 where they burrow in the turf, while the others lay their 

 eggs on the bare rock. 



