60 WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



looked a very prim little fellow as lie ran up and 

 down the narrow spit of golden sand. It was quite 

 amusing to watch him dash after the backwash of 

 a breaker and make two or three hasty pecks on 

 the very edge of the water before the next wave 

 rolled in and chased him away. Sometimes he 

 dallied so long over the plenitude of edible morsels 

 that he was obliged to resort to flight in order to 

 avoid being overwhelmed by the seething rush of 

 waters. I saw a Dunlin at this same place on three 

 separate occasions, and as my brother one day 

 came across three birds together we concluded the 

 species might be breeding on the island, and at 

 once instituted a systematic search for a nest; but 

 although it has been asserted that the bird breeds 

 in St. Kilda, we failed to find any evidence of 

 the fact. 



Hirta and the Doon have been separated at 

 some distant age by the continual wear and tear 

 of Atlantic storms upon the rocks that undoubtedly 

 once joined them together, and a westerly wind 

 now drives the waves through the narrow gap 

 with great force and uproar. I climbed down into 

 this pass one afternoon in order to get close to the 

 awful billows as they rolled in. The sight was 

 sublime, and I sat fascinated for I know not how 

 long watching the turmoil of waters leaping and 

 thundering against the mighty crags. On the 

 Doon side of this storm-worn breach the cliffs 

 rise precipitously from the sea. Here and there I 

 observed a Fulmar Petrel brooding on a narrow 

 ledge in the utmost peace and security. It was a 

 wonderfully pretty sight to see the male birds 

 come to feed their mates. They never did this 

 in a strictly business-like manner, but flew up and 

 toyed round their sitting mates for a second or 



