504 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



decrease in most of its other breeding places, though I never 

 heard any reason assigned for the circumstance." In the same 

 paper, Mr Elwes remarks that on Soay, one of the St. Kilda 

 group, where it was formerly very common, the Shearwater is 

 now by no means plentiful a change probably arising in this 

 case also from the increase of the puffin. One of the most 

 extensive breeding places frequented by this species at present is 

 on the island of Rum : this nursery-haunt is situated on the face 

 of a hill among broken boulders, and is about a mile distant 

 from the sea. In early times the breeding place was on the coast, 

 and the birds were then collected at the close of the season, as at 

 Barra, and salted for winter use. There is another nesting haunt 

 on the island of Eigg, and the Treshinish isles, StafFa, lona, and 

 various rocky islets of limited extent are also frequented during 

 the breeding season. The shearwaters appear in April, sometimes 

 as early as the 10th of the month, and continue until October, 

 when flocks are sometimes seen off the north coast of Islay. I 

 have seen small numbers pursuing their swallow-like flight near 

 the entrance to Lochmaddy, in the Outer Hebrides, and have 

 also noticed them at mid-day in the Firth of Clyde. On 25th 

 June, 1868, I saw three or four specimens when midway between 

 Ardrossan and the island of Arran. Mr Graham informs me that 

 the species is common in lona and Mull, and that on the 12th 

 of May, during very cairn weather, as he was sailing to StafFa 

 with a party in a boat, he saw a number of very large flocks 

 of shearwaters swimming upon the water. They were very tame, 

 and he procured a considerable number. 



While cruising among the western islands I have often been 

 arrested by the elegant flight of this petrel as it suddenly rose 

 above the waves. About day-break the numbers are greatest, 

 especially during a fresh breeze, but on undeniably stormy days, 

 I have seen them in extensive flocks, even at mid day. Towards 

 sunset, should a look-out be kept in the neighbourhood of their 

 breeding places, the observer will be surprised at the numbers 

 which issue from these haunts and fly seawards. I recollect one 

 evening as we lay becalmed near the island of Coll, seeing many 

 hundreds mysteriously flitting past the vessel, and disappearing 

 in the darkness before we could well make out their forms. On 

 this occasion I counted upwards of forty flocks, each numbering 

 from twenty to thirty shearwaters all of which came from the 



