1680 ' The Zoologist — May, 1869. 



above, and behind as we entered ; in front to the right is a real cave 

 about ten feet wide, corning to a sharp point at the top : we could 

 only see in a few feet as ]t was quite dark; several razorbills flew out; 

 one bird had a youngAftne only a few feet above the water, — she 

 would not leave it, although we could have reached her with an oar. 

 We left this place by a narrow opening opposite the entrance, and as 

 we looked a-head we appeared to be going into an amphitheatre, for 

 the cliffs in the distance form a small bay, and the side of the cave 

 confined our view to the left : in the distance is the principal colony 

 of kittiwakes — the whole face of the cliff seemed white with them: 

 immediately we are out of the cave we are below another settlement; 

 on the right, left, and in front are hundreds — every ledge is occu- 

 pied ; some of the nests are apparently stuck upon the face of the 

 rock. What a beautiful sight to see these lovely little gulls, so light 

 and airy in their flight, and in such pure unsullied plumage, which it 

 is next to impossible to handle without soiling; we had a good look 

 at them, as some were on their nests within a few feet apparently in- 

 different to our intrusion. We next went off to the Stacks, pulling 

 between them and the main land : on the face of the clifis, wherever 

 they can find standing room, were sitting great numbers of razorbills 

 and guillemots, and we saw perhaps half-a-dozen puffins ; the few 

 ledges on the sides of the Stacks were occupied in like manner. On 

 the west side of the Great Stack is a cave in which shags breed in 

 safetv — it is perfectly inaccessible : having rounded the Stacks, we 

 had a splendid view of the tops which slope towards the sea — they 

 were covered with thousands of guillemots ; nunierous as they ap- 

 peared from the land, it was as nothing compared to this view ; no 

 words can describe the scene, and we were particularly fortunate to 

 have had such a good opportunity for witnessing it — a calm sea and a 

 boat within hail we might go twenty times and not meet again ; there 

 was only one drawback, we could only have half an hour in the boat, 

 when a whole day would not have been loo long ; but the sailoVS were 

 anxious to be off to Tenbv and, having obliged us so far, we could 

 not grumble, short though the time seemed. I can fairly say it has 

 left an impression which 1 can never forget, and often recur IP ^i^h 

 the greatest pleasure. 1 drove to the Stacks again on the 5th c^ Sep- 

 tember: it was a windy^ stormy day — the wind blowing off th^ sea; 

 not a single guillemot .vas upon the top of the Stacks, and only here 

 and there in sheltered nooks might be seen «x few with some razor- 

 bills, but the air seemt-i luYi of them flying in all directions, chat- 



