Birds by Land and Sea 



here. The tower had more recently been in use as 

 a signalling-station in connection with a telegraphic 

 station on the Great Orme's Head, but whether as 

 church or signal station, its history has gone with 

 the shadowy Brothers who chanted their litanies to 

 the sound of the sea and the sea-bird's cry, and the 

 lonely watchman whose memory was extinguished 

 with his light. 



A few meadow-pipits had made their home in 

 the tufted grass in the centre of the island, and one 

 wheatear showed anxiety at our presence. A carrion 

 crow sailed above us for a few moments with his 

 inscrutable " kaar ! " but whether it was the pro- 

 test of a proprietor, or of the first poacher to those 

 whom he held to be second-comers, did not appear. 



The time had flown as it flies only with those 

 who are pleasurably employed, and the sun warned 

 us that it was time to go down to the boat. A com- 

 pany of ten or twelve linnets, with their bonny 

 crimson breasts and crowns, flew to a bush at the 

 head of the path as we began to descend, and with 

 these closes the tale of our acquaintances on Puffin 

 Island. 



256 



