460 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



which, I inferred, that they belonged to St. Kilda. During 

 another cruise in the autumn of 1870, I saw, as we were leaving 

 Castle Bay one morning about six o'clock, several hundred Gannets 

 plunging for prey on the west side of the island of Muldoanich, 

 which lies about three miles east of Yatersay, one of the isles of 

 Barra. There must have been a large shoal of fish at the place, 

 as the birds were diving with extraordinary rapidity, their move- 

 ments, when seen against the dark shade of the island, reminding 

 one of a shower of snow. As this happened in the first week of 

 August, and about ten days before the St. Kilda geese are known 

 to have their young ones fledged, the birds which I saw were 

 probably providing a family breakfast to carry back to the rock 

 a distance of fully eighty miles. 



At both Ailsa Craig and the Bass Rock the two breeding 

 stations with which I am most familiar the Gannet is very 

 abundant. It is believed that at a moderate calculation the 

 number on the Bass Eock may be set down at 20,000, and I feel 

 sure that the number frequenting Ailsa cannot be reckoned less. 

 Since the time of Martin, who describes with amusing quaintness 

 the habits of the Gannet as observed by himself at St. Kilda, nearly 

 two hundred years ago, very little change has taken place in the 

 remoter strongholds of the species ; but on the Bass Rock, where, 

 in former years, a large colony had possession of part of the grassy 

 slopes, on which they built their nests, the intrusion of visitors has 

 driven the birds entirely to the precipitous ledges on the west side 

 of the island. The interest in this famous breeding place has 

 therefore become greatly diminished; and notwithstanding the 

 protection now afforded this bird in common with other 

 seafowl, it is extremely doubtful if the colony I speak of 

 will ever resume the occupancy of that part of the rock. 

 Twenty years ago, about one hundred and fifty nests could 

 have been examined without the slightest difficulty, and the 

 birds were then so tame as to allow a person to walk among 

 them and lift and examine both young birds and eggs without 

 much remonstrance a sight which well repaid the trouble of 

 a long journey. In 1859, before they finally quitted the spot, 

 I visited the rock and found their habits considerably changed. 

 The old birds were dreadfully vociferous, and in some cases 

 showed fight. Professor Macgillivray well described their cry 

 in comparing the torrent of crackling sounds to the words 



