THE NORTH ISLES. 21 



stone strata is uninterrupted by crack or crevice. The caves are 

 very much the same in size and height, and in width and depth, 

 and are, perhaps, about 15 feet high, thus occupying, roughly 

 speaking, about one third of the total height of 50 feet. 



" There appeared to be no place where we could land and take 

 a photograph, as the buttresses are all upon absolutely the same 

 plane of projection, so we had to be content with the view direct 

 from the boat. It would have been equally impossible from the top 

 of the cliff, owing to the great overhang." (From J. A. H.-B.'s 

 Journal, July 1889.) 



On the south-east side, below the Holm, is St. Tredwall's Loch, 

 a good-sized sheet of water, with a few terns apparently breeding 

 about its edges. The only other bird we saw on it was a Eedbreasted 

 Merganser. In the marshy ground round it were a few Dunlins, 

 and a pair or two of Kedshanks. The loch is separated from the 

 sea on its east and south sides by a sandbank. 



HOLM OF PAPA WESTKAY. 



The Holm of Papa Westray lies about three-quarters of a mile 

 from the eastern centre of Papa Westray. The channel between 

 the two islands is quite shallow, and, from the lowness of the land 

 opposite, they would appear to have been connected at no great 

 distance of time back. To the north, east, and south-east, however, 

 the land is higher, and is bounded by cliffs, though none of these 

 are of any great altitude. These cliffs have the same laminated 

 appearance as those of Papa Westray itself, and, like them, are 

 tunnelled with caves, or pierced by geb's. Great numbers of 

 Black Guillemots inhabit the rocks on the south-east, and indeed 

 they seemed to be the most abundant species in the island. Mr. 

 Traill of Holland used to preserve the island very strictly, the 

 birds not being molested except at certain times. Since it has 

 passed out of his possession things are changed, and the day we 

 landed on it (June 22) all the nests had been robbed, as we 

 found scarcely any eggs or young birds. All the terns we could 



