On Crag and Sea- cliff. 251 







From the Bass it is a long jaunt to St. Kilda, but 

 we will do the distance on Icarian wings, and 

 contrive to reach the famous islands during the very 

 height of the breeding season of the birds. We 

 have appropriately left this romantic place to the 

 last, for it is here, we say without hesitation, that 

 littoral rock scenery throughout the northern shires 

 culminates in grandeur, and that rock bird-life attains 

 to its highest degree of impressiveness. Sixteen 

 years ago the group of islands (collectively known as 

 St. Kilda) were comparatively unknown to British 

 ornithologists. Of their existence, of course, most 

 bird-lovers knew, but only in a hazy sort of a way, 

 whilst the wonders of their bird-life were even more 

 traditional to most of us. Nowadays St. Kilda has 

 become ornithologically " fashionable " ; it is con- 

 sidered quite the correct thing to " do " the archi- 

 pelago, and the place has become popularized we 

 had almost written a much stronger, if perhaps not 

 quite so genteel a word. Sixteen years ago we 

 visited the islands and published an account of their 

 bird-life the first, we believe, that had been written 

 for nearly twenty years. We have in various works 

 still further emphasized the richness of the place 

 from an ornithological point of view. This, we 

 profoundly regret to say, has resulted in a wild rush 

 of collectors to the islands, with the inevitable result 

 that the natives have been corrupted, and the Wren 



