194 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 



July 6th. Fell in with a party of shieldrakes while sailing 

 across the Sound. I immediately shot one old one, and chased 

 a flock of unfledged ones for two miles, but they escaped me by 

 their active diving. An old one kept flying about and attempting 

 to divert my attention, but I did not fire at her. 



13th. Wrote some papers for Mr Keddie's new guide-book. 1 



9th. To Soay island; dug up stormy petrels to send to Mr 

 Kemp and Mr Gibb of Glasgow ; kept eggs for myself. 



13th. Mrs M'Vean and all the children went in the ' Scarbh,' 

 with the c Loo-soo ' towing astern, laden with our basket, kettle, 

 jugs, &c., to Eilean-na-Slat, at the entrance to lona Sound. It 

 created much amusement on board the steamer which passed us, 

 as we were sailing along with all the sails set and flags flying, 

 and the queer-looking ' Loo-soo ' in our wake. 



15th. M'Millan and I sailed to Staffa and spent the whole 

 day, which was fine and calm there. We did not land much, but 

 went round the island in the boat, poking into every cave. We 

 got more birds than one man could well carry up to the house. 

 Back at eleven P.M. This week I sent off large drawing of west 

 side of St Martin's Cross to Mr Keddie. 



27 th. The beginning of this week wet and stormy. Com- 

 menced chalk drawing. Collecting seaweeds. There are very 

 few birds about now, nothing to be met with but gillebride or 

 oyster-catchers. At Fiddra there are flocks of curlew beginning 

 to collect, but very wild. 



almost without doubt prove of much interest. There are obituary notices in 

 the newspapers of October 1875, the time of Mr Kemp's death being the 26th 

 of that month. We are indebted to Mr D. A. Boyd for the above, and fuller 

 particulars. ED. 



1 Glasgow : Maclure & Macdonald. ED. 



