40 THE SOUTH ISLES. 



inhabited. All these islands are frequented by Grouse, and of late 

 years a large colony of the Common Gull has taken possession of 

 Kisa Little; a good many seals also frequent the shores of this 

 island. 



FLOTTA AND SWITHA. 



Flotta is much the largest of the islands now under considera- 

 tion, and supports a considerable population. Still it is by no 

 means over-cultivated, and a fair number of grouse are yearly 

 killed there, especially late in the season, when a good many birds 

 come across from Walls. "We saw a few Curlews, Golden Plover, 

 and some of the commoner gulls ; but the shores, though rocky, are 

 not possessed of cliffs high enough to afford nesting-places for any 

 of the rock-birds. On the east side of the island is the bay of 

 Panhope, one of the best harbours in the South Isles, and, accord- 

 ing to Low, so called from there having been a salt-pan there, 

 which, however, had been given up even in his day. 



Low also mentions that there was a great fishery for Coalfish 

 here, to which most of the boats in the South Isles repaired. This 

 fishery was followed, and occasionally interrupted, by dog-fish, 

 which, however, the islanders did not consider an unmixed evil, as, 

 although these creatures drove every other fish away when they put 

 in an appearance, their own livers yielded oil in such abundance 

 as to more than compensate for the loss of the fish driven away by 

 them. A like case is mentioned by Mr. Irvine-Fortescue as 

 occurring within the last few years at Scapa. 



The Calf of Flotta is green, with some patches of brackens, and 

 has apparently a considerable depth of peat ; of birds we saw a few 

 Snipe, four or five Wild Ducks, with some Shags, Herons, and 

 Eiders ; some Kock Pipits and Twites among the smaller species. 



Switha is a fine green grassy island, with high rocks on the 

 south and south-east side, sloping gently down to the sea on the 

 north. We saw a good number of the common waders, such as 

 Oyster-catchers, King Dotterel, etc., and, judging from the smell, 



