290 BIRDS OF ARRAX. 



groups of the great northern and black-throated divers off 

 shore in their brilliant summer dress, and calling to one 

 another in hoarse accents, as if giving the word to prepare 

 for the Icelandic or Hebridean lakes. From its nearness to 

 Ailsa Craig, Arran is visited by all the birds which are to 

 be found there large flocks of guillemots, razorbills, puffins, 

 and other familiar tenants of that famous bird-hive being 

 seen almost constantly in Kilbrannan Sound, as well as along 

 the eastern shores of the island. It will be seen, therefore, 

 that the natural features of Arran are sufficiently diversified 

 to attract a very large proportion of the birds to be found in 

 Scotland, and that on this account the bird-student who may 

 make this beautiful island a temporary post of observation, 

 is enabled to acquire, within a comparatively small compass, 

 a knowledge of the habits of species ranging from the monarch 

 of its own Alps the sea eagle to the little storm petrel 

 whose shadowy form at twilight is occasionally detected by 

 the passing mariner. 



123. Before giving a catalogue of species, it may not be 

 out of place to notice here what has hitherto been recorded 

 of the ornithology of Arran. The earliest notice which I 

 have been able to trace is extremely brief, and appeared in a 

 work on the Western Islands of Scotland, written about the 

 year 1703, by M. Martin, who states that " This isle affords 

 the common sea and land fowls that are to be had in the 

 "Western Isles." With this somewhat unsatisfactory account 

 naturalists remained content, until Pennant visited the island 

 about seventy years later, namely, in 1772. "The birds,'' 

 says this writer,* " are eagles, hooded crows, wild pigeons, 

 stares, black game, grouse, ptarmigans, daws, green plovers, 

 and curlews." To these he adds the partridge, with the 

 remark that its presence there was a proof of the advance- 

 ment of agriculture. Pennant, it may be observed, speaks 

 of having seen eagles soaring over the naked summits of 

 Grianan Athol. Following these records, the Old Statistical 

 Voyage to the Hebrides, Chester, 1774. 



