AMONG THE BIRDS IN SPRING. 33 



many Kitti wakes build their nests, and their 

 noisy clamour sounds high above the roar of the Ma y- 

 sea. On the flat islands adjoining these " stacks," 

 vast colonies of Gulls breed, each islet, for the most 

 part, being monopolised by a single predominating 

 species. One island is tenanted by Terns, another 

 by Herring Gulls and Puffins, a third by Lesser 

 Black-backed Gulls, a few Eider Ducks and G 

 Oystercatchers, whilst another outlying rock is Ma y- 

 tenanted exclusively by Cormorants. As visitors 

 approach, all becomes uproar and tumult, and the 

 air is soon full of fluttering birds. The scene can 

 only be compared to a heavy snow-storm. Under 

 foot their eggs lie so thickly that great care 

 must be exercised in walking about, or we should 

 inevitably trample upon them ; and in every 

 available place amongst the sea - campion and 

 coarse grass we stumble across a nest. The 

 island where the Puffins breed is undermined * 

 with their burrows, and the ground is literally full May 

 of birds, each sitting on its solitary egg. 



The Bass Rock, with its colony of Gannets, is 

 equally full of interest, the nests being crowded 

 thickly on every bit of cliff and rock ledge at all 

 suitable to hold them. Early in spring the old 

 Gannets return to the rock, and in April and 

 May the scene is animated beyond all description. 

 For some considerable distance round the rock 

 the Gannets may be observed fishing. They 

 catch their finny prey by rising high in air, and 

 then with closed wings darting headlong down 



