202 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAK 



fixing a rope about a person who is let down, while 

 others hold the rope above ; and it is generally neces- 

 sary to visit the eyrie more than once to see the state 

 of the eyesses. Ailsa Craig is ten miles distant from 

 Girvan on the Ayrshire coast, tvventy-five miles from 

 the Mull of Cantyre in Argyleshire, and thirty-five 

 miles from Tor Point. The lower 400 feet consists of 

 columnar syenitic trap, being formed of successive 

 tiers of immense columns. Its columnar cliffs on the 

 west and south sides are literally covered during the 

 summer months by myriads of Solan geese, cormorants, 

 puffins, links, gulls, and other sea birds. About two- 

 thirds up the craig is a very fine spring of fresh 

 water, and it is a problem how this passes under the 

 sea, and rises at such a height above its surface. The 

 principle of the Artesian well seems immediately to 

 solve this question. Supposing water to be percolating 

 at a great depth, and as it does under Rouen or Paris, 

 and that in the rock of Ailsa there is a fissure extending 

 from the water to the surface, this acts on Ailsa pre- 

 cisely as the Artesian wells of Eouen and Paris. No 

 doubt the great number of water-fowl may afford some 

 resource to the falcon and tercel gentle to feed their 

 young upon at Ailsa, but they constantly pass to the 

 mainland for game and other land birds. The merlin 

 makes its nest in the heather, and is constantly to be 

 found in the high mooi'land counties of Scotland. The 

 falcon of this bird is like that of the falcon gentle, larger 

 than the tercel. 



The falcon and tercel gentle and the merlin are called 

 red hawks until they are more than one year old ; 

 after their first change of feathers they are called white 

 hawks. During the first year they are of a reddish brown 



