BIRDS. 253 



shallower recess may make the total dimensions possibly a foot 

 more all round. The depth of the inner recess may be, and 

 appears to be, about 1J to 2 feet. Just below the opening of 

 the inner recess the outer is formed by a step of the sandstone 

 about 1 foot to 1 J feet high, nearly bare of tangle and sea-ware. 

 James Hourston assured us that the bird, except at high tides 

 or at high water (?), jumped up this ledge in order to reach the 

 inner recess ; and that William Fowlis had landed and examined 

 it, and had often expressed his belief that it did so, or could 

 not do otherwise." 



' ' This unique and extremely likely-looking place is just above 

 the reach of ordinary tides, but a spring tide would, and does, 

 nearly submerge it. As we saw it, it was about 6 feet above 

 the sea-level, but either a man or the bird could land, and 

 easily gain access to it or to the shelf below it. As we saw it 

 to-day it was quite out of reach of the comparatively calm sea, 

 but with an easterly wind or gale, or any wind south of east, 

 the waves would plunge into it with full body and force. I 

 believe a north wind, or even a north-east wind would not raise 

 any great sea here, as the projecting buttresses would in very 

 great measure protect it. It is my opinion that it would form, 

 in by far the larger number of conditions of wind and weather 

 certainly in summer a very secure resting and even pos- 

 sibly a nesting-place for such birds as ( the King and Queen of 

 the Auks." 



"Mr. James Hourston then excitedly and eloquently pointed 

 out how one man, whose name I could not catch, had always 

 gone in pursuit of the rare bird whilst it was known to haunt 

 the cliff, but had always approached from a southerly direction, 

 and, for the reasons already explained, 1 and the configuration 

 of the cliff, had always failed to get near enough. But 

 triumphantly how Willy Fowlis had at last ' shotten it ' when 

 returning from the fishing to the north, rowing gently down 

 past the near projecting buttress ; { and whan the King louped 

 doon aff the shelve into the sea, there 's whare he shotten him,' 

 pointing exultantly to the water, about four boat-lengths off 



1 Vide p. 20, Description of Papa Westray. 



