266 THE BASS ROCK. 



into consideration, the cool post of the shooter, and the fair 

 position of his mark, a first-rate rifleman ought seldom to 

 miss. 



The only small birds I saw on the Bass were a couple of 

 rock pipits, feeding among the withered sea-ware close to 

 the landing bay. Their nest no doubt was near, and they 

 had chosen a place to build it upon, which did not belie 

 their name. Those inheritors of dilapidation and decay, 

 the jackdaws, sum up the zoology I noticed on the Bass 

 Eock. The old rampart walls and chapel had most likely 

 tempted them over the sea from Tantallan Castle. 



Having satisfied my curiosity, and procured all the 

 specimens I wanted, we hoisted our sail and steered for 

 Canty Bay. Numbers of the common gull were flitting 

 about us on our passage, although I saw none on the 

 Bass. 



When stripping the soland of his best fly feathers, old 

 Jack remarked that the wing-pinions were excellent for 

 writing-quills. He had often commissions from the village 

 teachers in the neighbourhood for a supply. There was a 

 good deal of oil about them, which the schoolmasters 

 extract by cutting off the end of the quills and soaking 

 them in warm water. I took out my penknife and made 

 one or two into toothpicks ; upon which Jack assured me 

 that I would find them " far praeferable to a prin" (pin). 



There can scarcely be a more inviting resting-place than 

 Canty Bay ; a cheerful sunny beach of smoothest sand, 

 enclosed by rising hillocks covered with wild flowers ; the 

 bold ocean-waves rolling before, and the bolder ocean-rock 



