THE BASS ROCK 219 



they utter their shrill alarm note, ki-u, and fly away 

 in a great hurry. It was so on the occasion of our 

 visit. We tried to get close to one, and then another, 

 but altogether failed. Then I "spotted" one round a 

 ledge and commenced to stalk it. Stalking a bird 

 on ordinary level ground taxes one's skill, but on this 

 precipitous rock, where the slightest false step means 

 a drop into the sea two hundred and fifty feet below, 

 needs all the nerve and patience of the photographer. 

 A steady head and sure foot are needful if one wishes 

 to get the best results when photographing on such a 

 cliff as this. However, by going down and then up 

 again, and climbing slowly forward, I was able to 

 expose two plates before the bird flew away. As 

 there were no other birds near me, I returned to the 

 top, and this time descended to where my friend was 

 at work some eighty or more feet below. Here we 

 found a convenient ledge about three feet long by 

 two wide quite a respectable standing-place after the 

 narrow places we had just traversed. On this there 

 was just room for one camera and the operator that 

 is, if one held on to the former to prevent it from 

 toppling over into the sea. The cliff below bent 

 inwards, so there was a clear view of the vast array 

 of flying birds below, while we had a splendid sight 

 of the whole of the east side of the rock. This view 

 was one that will live in my memory for ever ; it is 

 one that is dear to the heart of any naturalist, and 



