and the North-cast Coast of Ireland. 5 



l)ir(ls. Tlicy may Iiavc ])ccii concealed Ix'ucatli tlie l)onl(lci's. 

 l)ut I doubt whether they would be sitting so closely in 

 the middle of July. 



There were a great many Purple Sand[)ipers on tlic 

 island^ but, tliough I met with parties of them some distance 

 from the shore, I could not see any which looked lil<e 

 young birds, nor did they seem to be paired. Amongst the 

 rocks on the shore were a few Turnstones, and in a little bay 

 a pair of Grey Phalaropes. I saw these beautiful little 

 l)irds repeatedly during my visit and regretted that I could 

 not afford the time to watch them and ascertain whether 

 they were nesting. As, however, they were a pair and 

 never left the bay in which I first noticed them, I think it 

 is more than likely that at this date (July 10th) they were 

 not passing visitors. 



On the high ground Golden Plovers and Meadow-Pipits 

 were breeding, as I found nests of both. 



I also saw two male Teal on a loch, a pair of Mallards 

 and a pair of Ravens on the cliffs. The Great Skua, Arctic 

 Skua, Gannet, and Great BLack-backed Gull were the only 

 other birds noted during my visit. 



The whole island is covered with short grass and moss, 

 and the inhabitants have no ero[)s of any description. There 

 are about fifteen inhabited houses, and 1 estimate that each 

 contains an average of not less than six inmates. The people 

 have a good many sheep, seven cows, and three jjonies. There 

 are two or three wooden houses, but most of them are made 

 of turf. A few large stones are mixed with the turf, for the 

 foundations, and the front of the main entrance is generally 

 made of wood. I was invited into one of them, the entrance- 

 passage of which was so dark that I had to feel my way. 

 Probably for the sake of warmth this passage turned at right 

 angles, and a door led into the principal living-room. It was 

 lined u ith wood and was almost filled by four wooden box bed- 

 steads, on which was piled a great deal of disorderly bedding. 

 The room, however, was clean, and so were the inhabitants, 

 more or less. The remaining rooms, a pantry and what 

 might be called by courtesy a kitchen and storeroom ccm- 

 biued, were nuxdc entirely of turf. On the floor was lying 



