Wanderings of a Naturalist 



and often an individual would swerve off with an alarmed 

 cry, imagining, and often groundlessly, that a bird soaring 

 near and slightly above it was about to attack. 



There was one gannet still brooding closely on a very 

 diminutive youngster on which the down had just commenced 

 to grow, and putting the age of the young bird at a fortnight, 

 the egg cannot have been deposited much before July 17. 

 Even at its early age the young bird, when it was partially 

 uncovered by its parent, endeavoured with its small beak to 

 do what repairs were, in its opinion, needed for the improve- 

 ment of the nest, presenting in its task an extremely quaint 

 and delightful spectacle. 



On September 13 the wind blew very strongly throughout 

 the day from a north-easterly quarter, with heavy rain. Next 

 day a number of small migrants were seen on the Rock, and 

 some were still remaining on the i6th. I noted several red- 

 starts, at least one snow bunting, and quite a number of 

 wheatears. A willow warbler paid a short visit, and hedge 

 accentors were numerous. 



On two .occasions on the i6th I noted a peregrine falcon, 

 once flying and later resting near the summit cairn. In former 

 years the falcon nested on the Bass, but latterly has made 

 its nesting site the island of Craig Leith, a few miles west- 

 ward up the firth. In its choice of a nesting site it has been 

 singularly unfortunate, for I hear that every spring the eggs 

 are removed from the eyrie by collectors. 



When I left the Rock just after mid-September, young 

 gannets were leaving their nests daily, but it was not until 

 late October that the more backward took their departure, 

 and in the case of the small youngster just mentioned, Novem- 

 ber must have been drawing to a close before he was ready 

 to take the momentous first flight into the wide world. 



