Tlie Summer Birds of Shetland. 555 



scratcliing with vigour. The only sound they give vent to 

 is a low croak. On throwing up a razorbill from the highest 

 pinnacle, it fell straight down for about thirty feet before 

 getting itself under command. 



51. Black Guillemot (Uria grylle), (Tystie). — The tystie is 

 one of the most characteristic Shetland birds, and may be 

 seen in small parties all round the coast. I saw a pair diving 

 away in their active fashion, at the Knab, about a mile from 

 Lerwick. The nests are rather difficult to find, as they do not 

 form extensive colonies, but a pair, or a few pairs, breed at 

 many different places. They used to frequent the islands in 

 the Bay of Scalloway in some numbers, but have much 

 decreased of late, being shot in the autumn by tourists and 

 fishermen, their confiding nature rendering this an easy task. 

 The fishermen, for what reason I cannot conceive, seem to 

 have a great desire to kill this beautiful little bird, taking 

 every opportunity they can to do so. These birds breed 

 late ; a nest I got on the Cheynies on 15th June contained 

 only one egg fresh. [Note. — Since writing the above, Mrs 

 Jessie M. E. Saxby has kindly suggested to me a reason for 

 the dislike of the Shetlanders to the tystie. It is tliis — The 

 old men, women, and children frequently fish for " Piltocks " 

 off rocks projecting into the water, and occasionally fatal 

 accidents occur at these places. The tystie is very fond of 

 diving and swimming among the broken water at such spots, 

 and has in this way come to be associated with calamity in 

 the minds of the islanders.] 



52. Puffin (Fratercula arctica), (Tammy Norie). — This is 

 one of the most abundant birds in Shetland, breeding in 

 many thousands at a few favourite stations, such as Noss, 

 Unst, and Foula. On the Island of Griiney, off Fiedeland 

 Point, there is a small colony of 300 or 400 pairs. These 

 only migrated to this island a few years ago, having previ- 

 ously nested on a stack farther out ; but what with their 

 burrows, and the people breaking up the turf to get at them 

 and their eggs, the soil almost entirely disappeared from the 

 stack, being quickly blown away when once loose, by the 

 terrific gales that rage round these lonely pinnacles. This 

 same process is going on at the present colony, but Griiney, 



