376 HISTORY OF 



of Scotland, the Skelig Islands off the coasts of 

 Kerry in Ireland, and those that lie in the North 

 Sea off Norway, abound with them. But it is on 

 the Bass Island, in the Firth of Edinburgh, where 

 they are seen in the greatest abundance. " There 

 is a small island," says the celebrated Harvey, 

 " called the Bass, not more than a mile in cir- 

 cumference. The surface is almost wholly cover- 

 ed during the months of May and June with their 

 nests, their eggs, and young. It is scarcely possi- 

 ble to walk without treading on them : the flocks 

 of birds upon the wing are so numerous as to 

 darken the air like a cloud ; and their noise is 

 such, that one cannot, without difficulty, be heard 

 by the person next to him. When one looks 

 down upon the sea from the precipice, its whole 

 surface seems covered with infinite numbers of 

 birds of different kinds, swimming and pursuing 

 their prey. If, in sailing round the island, one 

 surveys its hanging cliffs, in every crag or fissure 

 of the broken rocks may be seen innumerable 

 birds, of various sorts and sizes, more than the 

 stars of heaven when viewed in a serene night. 

 If they are viewed at a distance, either receding, 

 or in their approach to the island, they seem like 

 one vast swarm of bees." 



They are not less frequent upon the rocks of 

 St Kilda. Martin assures us, that the inhabi- 

 tants of that small island consume annually near 

 twenty-three thousand young birds of this species, 

 beside an amazing quantity of their eggs. On 

 these they principally subsist throughout the 

 year ; and, from the number of these visitants, 



