284 LATER YEARS 



Pomatorhine Skua or Wild Geese, however, gladdened 

 our vision, and except a Corvine bird which just showed 

 itself and then disappeared, there was nothing beyond 

 the ordinary sea-birds. Evans has a great fancy for 

 going into caves, and his fancy would here have perhaps 

 tired itself, for they seem endless, but after some four 

 or five I suggested that the open air was certainly 

 sweeter and the chance of being splashed by the Shags 

 and their companions not greater. I think these islands 

 might repay you for another visit, if you had the luck 

 to hit off quiet water. It seems to me (from the good 

 look we had at them in so many directions) quite clear 

 how they came to be called the " Seven Hunters." The 

 Eastern group consists of two pairs of sizable islands 

 making four islands, and the Western of one pair, and 

 the most western stack of all, which stands so distinctly 

 from the rest both in position and outline, the latter 

 very like Levenith in St. Kilda, of which it is a sort of 

 miniature. We went very close round this, hoping we 

 might find a Gannet or two on it, but could see none. 

 There were plenty about, and Fulmars also, but I think 

 they were not " at home " there. By the way, Evans 

 quite believes in the Fulmar breeding on N. Rona, as he 

 saw one or more on the land. 



From the Flannans we came to Shilley Sound, 

 intending to go next day to the Outer Hysgeir, but 

 the sea began to tumble about and it became evident 

 in the morning that if we went we could not land there, 

 so we came back through the Sound of Hamir to Braca- 

 dale, starting next day for Loch Skavaig and Coruisk, 

 and so to Oban. There we had to coal, and on Friday 

 returned to Jura. Yesterday we went round the Loch 

 Tarbet of this island, where we found a jolly lot of seals 

 all vitulina. By the way, we saw some fine grey seals 

 at Oronsay, N. Rona, and the Flannans, very tame at 

 the latter, and one huge monster let us get quite close 

 to him before he wriggled off his rock. 



To-morrow we are off for the south, and if we have 

 done nothing towards adding to the knowledge of birds 



