﻿358 
  On 
  the 
  Nesting 
  of 
  some 
  Shetland 
  Birds. 
  

  

  prey, 
  when 
  we 
  were 
  some 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  nesting-ground 
  in 
  

   Unst. 
  The 
  man 
  in 
  charge 
  informed 
  us 
  that 
  seven 
  pairs 
  nested 
  

   on 
  Hermanness 
  Hill 
  in 
  1891, 
  and 
  nine 
  pairs 
  in 
  1892 
  ; 
  one 
  of 
  

   these 
  pairs 
  had 
  been 
  robbed 
  of 
  their 
  eggs 
  by 
  the 
  natives 
  a 
  few 
  

   weeks 
  before 
  our 
  visit, 
  but 
  at 
  that 
  time 
  they 
  were 
  sitting 
  

   ag-ain, 
  and 
  from 
  what 
  I 
  have 
  since 
  heard 
  I 
  believe 
  that 
  the 
  

   nine 
  pairs 
  of 
  Skuas 
  all 
  hatched 
  off 
  their 
  eggs 
  in 
  1892. 
  

  

  Razorbill 
  [Alca 
  tarda). 
  Abundant. 
  

  

  - 
  Common 
  Guillemot 
  {Uria 
  troile). 
  Abundant. 
  

  

  Black 
  Guillemot 
  {Uria 
  grylle). 
  "Tystie.^^ 
  This 
  is 
  Me 
  

   Guillemot 
  of 
  the 
  Shetlauds, 
  and 
  is 
  a 
  noticeable 
  feature 
  in 
  the 
  

   '' 
  seascape 
  " 
  everywhere, 
  with 
  its 
  black 
  plumage 
  and 
  con- 
  

   spicuous 
  white 
  wing-patches. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  difficult 
  thing 
  to 
  

   discover 
  the 
  nesting-hole 
  of 
  this 
  species, 
  as 
  the 
  bird 
  seldom 
  

   betrays 
  its 
  secret 
  by 
  flying 
  either 
  to 
  or 
  from 
  its 
  eggs 
  whilst 
  

   anyone 
  is 
  looking 
  on. 
  We 
  obtained 
  eggs 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  week 
  of 
  

   June. 
  

  

  H- 
  Puffin 
  [Fratercula 
  ardica) 
  . 
  Abundant, 
  nesting 
  in 
  many 
  

   places. 
  The 
  Puffin 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  hurt 
  oner's 
  hand 
  

   severely 
  with 
  its 
  beak. 
  I 
  can 
  only 
  say 
  that 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  

   Puffins 
  have 
  had 
  hold 
  of 
  my 
  hand, 
  and 
  that 
  they 
  have 
  never 
  

   yet 
  hurt 
  me. 
  I 
  suppose 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  more 
  lucky 
  than 
  others. 
  

  

  In 
  conclusion 
  I 
  may 
  say 
  that 
  a 
  visitor 
  to 
  the 
  Shetlands 
  

   must 
  be 
  at 
  once 
  struck 
  with 
  the 
  great 
  tameness 
  of 
  the 
  Gulls. 
  

   They 
  may 
  be 
  seen, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  morning, 
  standing 
  

   on 
  the 
  roofs 
  of 
  the 
  houses 
  in 
  large 
  flocks, 
  and 
  perching 
  on 
  

   the 
  boats 
  in 
  the 
  harbour, 
  while 
  people 
  are 
  passing 
  within 
  a 
  

   few 
  feet 
  of 
  them. 
  Another 
  noticeable 
  feature 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  

   breeding-season 
  of 
  one 
  species 
  of 
  bird 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  far 
  before 
  or 
  

   behind 
  another 
  as 
  is 
  the 
  case 
  further 
  south 
  ; 
  e. 
  g. 
  the 
  Herring 
  

   Gull 
  is 
  not 
  nearly 
  so 
  much 
  earlier 
  in 
  nesting 
  than 
  the 
  Kitti- 
  

   wake 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  south. 
  

  

  