STACK AND SKERRY. 



THESE islands, a sort of " No Man's Land," though said to belong 

 to the Heddles of Melsetter, lie almost forty miles west of Hoy, 

 and are thus described by Harvie-Brown : 



"June 18th, 1887. Arrived off Stacker Suliskerry early to-day 

 with a light north-west wind, and made an easy landing on the 

 south-east side of the Skerry, just below the remains of a small 

 house. 



" Great Grey Seals in some numbers were bobbing around us in 

 the surf. We were about two hours on the island, and then the 

 fog came down from the northward, and we hurried again on 

 board, as the wind freshened. Mr. Norrie took two general views 

 from the highest point of the island, facing east and then west, and 

 four others of geos and birds. 



" The island is divided near the east end by a deep geo, impass- 

 able at low water. We landed two hours before low water, and 

 left just at low water. 



" The most of the island is covered with Cochlearia officinalis, 

 fennel, chickweed, and a dark green, luxuriant grass, the latter 

 here and there in patches, fennel and chickweed most abundantly. 

 I saw no appearance of sea-pink. 



" The rock which forms the island is composed of the newer 

 gneiss, changing into syenite, and Professor Heddle took speci- 

 mens. 



" The height of the skerry is about 50 feet at the highest point, 

 and it slopes away to the east about half a mile ; to the west it 

 dips quickly where two geos from north and south nearly meet, and 

 in the hollow is a fine colony of terns. In some places the forests 



