316 APPENDIX. 



Mingalay in the Hebrides, or St. Kilda, it comes little 

 short of these in grandeur. 



A little to the south of the culminating point of 

 Handa, where the cliff dips suddenly to about 450 feet of 

 elevation, there is a vast creux or pit, about 40 x 50 feet in 

 surface area, being nearly perfectly square, unfenced when 

 we last saw it, and penetrating perpendicularly the solid 

 rock down to the sea-level, where it is connected with a 

 deep inlet of the "Western Ocean by an equilateral-sided 

 tunnel. This curious place is haunted by kittiwakes, 

 especially in stormy weather, but, save in the tunnel-way 

 where a few shags have their nests, is not used as a breed- 

 ing station. We know of no creux to equal this in 

 magnitude or grandeur, not comparing with it for one 

 moment those of the Channel Islands, nor the Bullers of 

 Buchan on the Aberdeenshire coast. Almost throughout 

 the whole circumference of Handa — at least in its cliff 

 faces — the wonderful regularity of its parallel ledges is 

 remarkable ; and its innumerable crevices are crammed 

 with razorbills, guillemots, puffins, kittiwakes, and shags, 

 whilst a few cormorants occupy the highest ledges just 

 under the cliff-edge, and rock-doves are occasionally seen 

 to dash out of the caves over the sea ; rock -pipits and 

 starlings are abundant in the crannies and sea-pink tufts 

 of the cliffs. It is quite one of the most remarkable 

 bird-nurseries of Great Britain. 



The Badcall Islands are well worth a visit. Colonies 

 of cormorants, sea-gulls, and black guillemots occupy the 

 suitable positions. We have taken twenty to thirty eggs 

 of the latter species during a short visit. 



We have visited Handa and Badcall many times, 

 Bulgie Island, and Garbh Island, and other islands off 

 the coast, but none will compare in interest with Handa, 

 and all visitors to Sutherland should make a point of 

 including Handa in the programme of their tour. 



Plantations and Cultivated Areas. 



The cultivated areas are few and far between, and for 

 the most part insignificant. After leaving the vicinity of 



