BIRDS. 255 



inquiries while he was shooting in Orkney this year, 1889, and 

 we extract the following from his letter : 



"It so happened that there has been a rent collection here 

 (Papa Westray) during the last week, and, the factor being over 

 for that purpose, he has kindly interviewed all the older inha- 

 bitants on this subject, and sent the result on to me. The 

 islanders are unanimous that J. Hourston is the only man 

 likely to give any reliable information ; what the rest of them 

 know they know from him." 



"Hourston himself is a bright, intelligent man, with an 

 excellent memory, as I know from other facts, and greatly 

 prides himself on his knowledge of Papa historical, territorial, 

 and legendary. He is about sixty-five years old." 



1. There were never more than two big Auks heard of in 



Papa Westray. 



(Hourston called them ' Acks,' and added that they 

 were not like Acks (Guillemots), but more like * what 

 we ca' Coulties' (Razorbills), at least they had the 

 ' same kind o' neb.') 



2. They never bred on Papa, the Holm, or Westray itself, 



or in any part of Orkney, as far as Hourston 

 knows. 



3. Both birds had been pursued several times by William 



Buller (phonetic ! Bullock) before the King was shot, 

 in a six-oared boat, without avail, as the birds could 

 swim quicker than the boat could pull. 



4. The bird was shot by William Foulis on a rock by the 



Fowl's Craig. 



5. Time, May; day of month unknown; year 1813. 



6. After the King was shot the Queen- 'fled straight away 



for Norway (!)' and was never seen again. 



7. The King and Queen had frequented Papa for some sea- 



sons before the male was killed. 



8. Hourston didn't seem to know whether the birds were 



away half the year or not ; he didn't think they stayed 

 all the year round. 



9. Foulis has a daughter still living on the island, Ina Foulis, 



