610 The Zoologist— March, 18C7. 



Early next morning we were afoot, and crossing the stone bridge 

 which unites Horn Island with the mainland, a walk of about four miles 

 brought us to the summit of the cliffs to the west of the Head. The 

 day was clear and the view from the cliffs magnificent ; Tory Island, 

 distant some nine or ten miles, appearing almost within swimming 

 distance, whilst to the left the cone of Errigal, upwards of 2400 feet 

 in height, and the huge burial-mound-shaped Muckish, stood out 

 boldly against a blue sky rivalling that of Italy. Looking down the 

 sweep of the stupendous cliffs, a white line could be discerned not far 

 from the water's edge ; it was the breeding-place of the kittiwakes, or 

 " petty vanes," as the "duller" called them, but from our elevation it 

 was impossible to say without the aid of a glass whether the whiteness 

 arose from birds or was merely a dung-covered ledge. On the water 

 and on the ledges of the cliffs we could distinguish puffins (albunners), 

 razorbills (furrins), guillemots (murrins), whilst the herring gulls 

 everywhere studded the sea-pink covered projections of the rocks. 

 Cormorants were drying their wings on the rocks at the base, and we 

 could distinguish shags nestling in the crevices of the lower cliffs. As 

 yet, however, the bulk of the birds had not come up from the sea, and 

 only the shags, cormorants and herring gulls had commenced laying, 

 with here and there a few puffins. 



u There's always a hunting hawk's nest by here," said our guide, 

 and the next moment the angry bark of the tercel, as he dashed out to 

 sea from his post of observation, warned us that we were encroaching 

 upon his domain. • The falcon sat very close, and it took a good deal 

 of stoning to make her bolt, which at last she did, but so quietly that 

 we were no wiser than before as to the exact position of her nest. 

 Nothing could be done without a rope, and, as this was merely a 

 reconnoitering expedition, we had not brought one. However, as 

 luck would have it, we had scarcely proceeded half a mile along the 

 cliffs when we came upon one of the best cragsmen of the Horn, who 

 was smoking his morning pipe with a companion, and who at once 

 started to fetch a rope from a cottage not far distant; so an hour found 

 us back again, preparing to lay siege to the eyrie of the peregrine. 

 The rope had a " fishy " appearance in more senses than one, being 

 full of joins and splices; however, if it would bear Jem, the owner, it 

 would certainly bear any one else of our parly, so down he went first 

 to try it. The falcon now became greatly excited, screaming wildly 

 and swooping within a few yards of our heads, so it was clear that 

 the nest was close by; still the rope was not long enough to 



