28 THE WESTERN ISLES. 



mostly rocky, but above high-water mark on the east side are some 

 sandy hills, and sandy ground covered with a short, sweet grass, and 

 inhabited by a few Babbits. At the south end is a low reef of rocks, 

 called The Grand, mostly covered at high water, and a great resort 

 of the Common Seal. There are two or three lochs in the island, 

 and to the one at the south end the sea would appear occasionally 

 to have access. A small island in the latter loch contained a Ked- 

 breasted Merganser's nest, apparently just robbed. The other lochs 

 are more marshy in their character, and have a considerable amount 

 of reeds, amongst which a single pair of Black-headed Gulls appeared 

 to have a nest. Besides these birds, we saw several Coots, Wild Duck, 

 Little Grebes, and Waterhens, these last two birds not being very 

 common anywhere among the islands, at least in the breeding season. 



The church of St. Magnus, now disused, but still well preserved, 

 is a most striking object, its thin round tower having a very 

 curious appearance, like a small mill-chimney. In this tower 

 several pairs of Kock Doves were breeding. There are a good many 

 small farms on the island. 



Egilsay is in the shape of a wedge, and is highest at the blunt 

 or north end, gradually tapering down to sea-level at the south or 

 thin end. The central ridge is covered with the usual stunted 

 heather where not cultivated, and there are many marshy depres- 

 sions, where quantities of Dunlins and some Snipe breed, the island 

 affording, in the winter, excellent snipe-shooting. 



Lying midway between Egilsay, Shapinsay, and Eday are 

 the Green Holms, two islands, as their name implies, covered with 

 grass, and both uninhabited. We visited these on two occasions in 

 search of Stormy Petrel's eggs. The larger island is on the north- 

 east side, high enough for some Cormorants and Shags to breed upon, 

 but it held no other rock-birds, except pigeons, that we observed. 

 The grass grows on a sort of dry peat, and it was in the cracks in 

 this peat that the Petrels bred on the smaller island; on the 

 larger holm they kept more to the stony cairns on the shore. 



