250 Among the Birds in Northern Shires. 



which is trampled into a solid mass by the owners. 

 Sea-weed and dry grass, as well as the dead stalks 

 of plants, are also used. The eggs are usually two 

 or three in number, green, or olive, or brown, of 

 various shades, marked with darker brown and gray. 

 Then amongst the cliffs great numbers of Guillemots 

 and smaller numbers of Razorbills deposit their eggs 

 in suitable spots; whilst the Jackdaw and the Rock 

 Dove frequent them. The Daws are great robbers 

 of eggs, and as soon as the Auks or Kittiwakes 

 chance to leave them unprotected the foraging birds 

 beat along the cliffs and pounce upon them, carrying 

 them off transfixed on their bill. The Herring 

 Gulls prefer the grassy downs in the hollow on the 

 north side of the Bass, making their somewhat slight 

 nests amongst the herbage. Their eggs closely 

 resemble those of the Lesser Black-backed Gull 

 the brown varieties but do not present anything 

 like the same diversity, although they are as a rule 

 perceptibly larger. We are glad to be able to state 

 that the Peregrine Falcon breeds upon the rock, and 

 on more than one occasion, after an exciting climb, 

 aided by a rope, we have succeeded in reaching and 

 minutely examining the nest of this interesting bird. 

 It preys upon the Puffins, Rock Doves, and Guille- 

 mots that make the Bass their summer home, and 

 we earnestly hope that it may long continue to 

 frequent this noble pile of rock. 



