*72 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 



Tobermory, called Calm Island, was thought to be turned to some 

 account by a former proprietor, who stocked it with Eabbits of a 

 superior breed. In the course of time these so destroyed the 

 pasture that a later' proprietor wished to get rid of them; but 

 they utterly defied all his efforts to extirpate them. Rabbits are 

 abundant in lona now, yet the man is still alive who introduced 

 the first pair into the island. Hares were also very recently 

 introduced into Tiree island. I have frequently met with Hares 

 upon little islets a quarter of a mile from the mainland, which 

 they must of course have reached by swimming; but Rabbits, 

 I think, never take to the water, even for the shortest distance, 

 though they frequent the seashore for the sake of seaweed. 

 There are some tempting islands hardly a gunshot from the 

 mainland of lona, which are never visited by Rabbits. 



Most of the small islets and rocks within a moderate distance 

 of the coast are infested by rats, which subsist upon the shell- 

 fish, crabs, birds' eggs, &c. Fortunately these rascals have not 

 reached Soay ; it is too far out for them, clever swimmers as 

 they are. If they once get a footing there, they will quickly 

 banish Petrels and every other bird from nesting there more. 

 I was often disappointed during the egg season, when searching 

 for sea-fowls' eggs, to find many promising-looking rocks un- 

 tenanted ; but I soon discovered that the cause of it was the rats 

 had penetrated to them, and the birds instinctively avoided these 

 spots. A few days ago my terrier turned a rat out of a hole in 

 the sand, and being hard pressed, it boldly jumped into a small 

 pool of water, diving immediately. The water being clear, I 

 could see him distinctly swimming about near the bottom, exactly 



