The Zoologist — September, 1868. 1365 



The : Springfield (Mass.) Republican ' of August, 1865, gives an 

 account of a " reptile " found at Lee. " It was nearly four feet in length, 

 about the size of a man's finger, and sbaped like a whip-lash ; and on 

 close examination the whole body was found to be composed of small 

 worms about half an inch in length, with large black heads, and semi- 

 transparent body. On separating them into fragments, they would 

 immediately re-form into a snake shape, and crawl slowly off. One or 

 two similar snakes have recently been seen in that vicinity." This was 

 copied into the ' Lancaster Evening Express ' of Saturday, August 12, 

 1865. 



Remarks on the Birds of Ailsa Craig. 

 By Theodore C. Walker, Esq. 



In June, 1866, having obtained permission to visit Ailsa Craig, 

 I proceeded to Girvan, from whence I took a sailing-boat across to 

 the Craig, which lies opposite the harbour, eleven or twelve miles out, 

 in the Firth of Clyde. The huge dome-shaped rock rises to the height 

 of more than 1 1'OO feet : it is precipitous on all sides except on the east, 

 where, on a triangular delta of shingle and rock, a house is built for 

 the accommodation of the cragsmen and keeper, who net the sea-fowl, 

 for the sake of whose feathers the Craig is rented from the Marquis 

 of Ailsa. In winter there is a man always employed in cutting curling- 

 stones. Having taken notes at the time, perhaps an abridgment of 

 them may not prove uninteresting to the readers of the 'Zoologist.' 



Gannet. — The gannet or Solan goose breeds in great numbers on 

 the south-west of Ailsa. Their breeding-place is mostly confined to 

 a small bay or amphitheatre of rock rising precipitously from the sea. 

 When I first saw the " gant's city," as the cragsmen call their haunts, 

 the period of incubation was at its height : it was about the 20th of 

 June. After clambering over masses of rock and threading an imper- 

 ceptible path like the track of a wild goat, I follow the climber as he 

 leads the way to the west side of Ailsa. Our way led along the " Barr 

 Head," or edge of the precipice : on one side the slope of the craig 

 rises steep as the roof of a house, and on the other is the precipice, in 

 some places overhanging the beach. The myriad voices of the gannets 

 are heard long before their haunts are reached : cautiously clambering 

 to the edge of the precipice, what a sight is displayed ! A huge 

 amphitheatre of basaltic columns ranged all up the side in the most 



