22 



THE NORTH ISLES. 



identify were Arctic ; one of their nests contained three eggs, a by- 

 no-means common occurrence in Orkney in our experience. There 

 were also one or two pairs of Great Black-backed Gulls, a small 

 colony of Herring Gulls in a geo, a pair of Twites and Hooded 

 Crows, and a good many Oyster-catchers. There were three or 

 four Curlews, which did not seem to have been nesting, however ; 

 only one wild duck was seen, apparently a common Wild Duck ; 

 no Eiders nor Common Gulls; a white pigeon 1 was sitting on 

 some ruins, and, judging by the quantity of droppings, these ruins 

 are frequented by a good many Eock Doves. All the Shags and 

 Cormorants we saw were merely sitting about on the rocks, not 

 nesting there. 



There is no cultivation on the Holm, which is covered with 

 grass, and used as a sheep-farm ; nor are there any inhabitants. 



1 Possibly an albino Rock Dove. 



