﻿354 
  Mr. 
  E. 
  W. 
  H. 
  Blagg 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  would 
  vary 
  the 
  proceedings 
  by 
  charging 
  out, 
  and 
  then 
  one 
  liad 
  

   to 
  hold 
  firm 
  to 
  avoid 
  being 
  sent 
  down 
  the 
  cliff 
  by 
  them 
  ! 
  The 
  

   number 
  of 
  nests 
  containing 
  eggs 
  about 
  equalled 
  those 
  con- 
  

   taining 
  young 
  : 
  the 
  young 
  were 
  in 
  all 
  stages 
  of 
  growth, 
  and 
  

   the 
  eggs 
  in 
  some 
  nests 
  were 
  quite 
  fresh 
  ; 
  five 
  was 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  

   an 
  unusual 
  number 
  to 
  find 
  in 
  a 
  nest. 
  Shags 
  appear, 
  like 
  

   many 
  other 
  birds, 
  to 
  keep 
  on 
  adding 
  to 
  the 
  fabric 
  of 
  their 
  

   nests 
  during 
  incubation, 
  for 
  I 
  found 
  many 
  nests, 
  containing 
  

   well-grown 
  young, 
  with 
  green 
  vegetation 
  round 
  the 
  edges. 
  

   The 
  ground 
  all 
  round 
  was 
  honeycombed 
  with 
  the 
  nesting- 
  

   holes 
  of 
  Puffins, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  ledges 
  below 
  the 
  Kitti- 
  

   Avakes 
  were 
  building 
  their 
  nests. 
  It 
  was 
  an 
  interesting 
  

   scene 
  of 
  bird-life, 
  but 
  not 
  pleasant 
  to 
  the 
  olfactory 
  nerves; 
  

   and 
  the 
  worst 
  of 
  that 
  " 
  Shaggery^^ 
  was 
  that 
  the 
  birds, 
  their 
  

   nests 
  and 
  eggs, 
  the 
  caves, 
  the 
  rocks, 
  the 
  very 
  ground, 
  were 
  

   all 
  swarming 
  with 
  Shag-lice, 
  and 
  it 
  took 
  my 
  friend 
  and 
  

   myself, 
  and 
  some 
  sympathizing 
  fellow-passengers 
  in 
  the 
  

   ferry-boat, 
  all 
  our 
  time 
  to 
  pick 
  these 
  lice 
  off 
  my 
  clothes 
  

   and 
  consign 
  them 
  to 
  a 
  watery 
  grave. 
  To 
  give 
  them 
  their 
  

   due, 
  they 
  did 
  not 
  bite, 
  but 
  they 
  tickled 
  one 
  most 
  uncomfort- 
  

   ably, 
  and 
  I 
  shall 
  think 
  twice 
  before 
  I 
  explore 
  a 
  crowded 
  

   " 
  Shaggery 
  " 
  again. 
  

  

  -f-HERON 
  {Ardea 
  cinerea). 
  One 
  seen 
  on 
  Noss, 
  May 
  26th. 
  

  

  Wild 
  Duck 
  [Anas 
  boscas). 
  Noticed 
  pretty 
  generally. 
  

  

  Common 
  Eider 
  {Somateria 
  mollissima). 
  '^'Dunter.^' 
  

   Noticed 
  pretty 
  generally, 
  especially 
  the 
  male 
  birds, 
  which 
  are 
  

   very 
  handsome 
  and 
  conspicuous 
  objects. 
  We 
  found 
  several 
  

   nests, 
  the 
  parent 
  duck 
  sitting 
  very 
  close 
  on 
  her 
  large 
  dark- 
  

   green 
  eggs. 
  The 
  natives 
  consider 
  these 
  eggs 
  a 
  great 
  

   delicacy. 
  

  

  RiNG-DovE 
  [Colmnba 
  palumbus) 
  . 
  One 
  seen 
  close 
  to 
  Guen- 
  

   dale 
  Bay, 
  June 
  8th. 
  

  

  'RoQ^-T>o\^ 
  [Columba 
  livia). 
  Abundant. 
  The 
  old^Broch" 
  

   or 
  Picts^ 
  Castle 
  on 
  Mousa 
  has 
  been 
  fairly 
  taken 
  possession 
  

   of 
  by 
  the 
  Rock 
  -Doves, 
  which 
  have 
  turned 
  its 
  circular 
  galleries 
  

   into 
  a 
  dove-cot. 
  Exploring 
  these 
  with 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  candles 
  we 
  

  

  