483 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



steep surface one can creep rather than walk. It is pierced by 

 innumerable rabbit and puffin-holes. Our conductor examined 

 these, and where he found a slight trace of white dung at the 

 mouth of one he tore up the peat, inserted his arm, and drew 

 forth a Shearwater, then her egg. On searching another hole, 

 near which he pointed out a similar white speck on the thrift, he 

 pulled out a Storm Petrel and her egg. After a long search we 

 procured a few of each species. We found these Shearwaters 

 and Petrels breeding in a steep slope overlooking the sea, though 

 at a very considerable height. On being liberated the Petrels 

 always went with a zigzag flight down the cliffs. Their eggs 

 were fresh, but those of the Manx Shearwaters were hard sat 

 upon. Two Shearwaters, on being put into a basket containing 

 cotton-wool, continued to burrow in the latter till they reduced it 

 to rags, while two Petrels, also put into this basket, kept dancing 

 about on the top of the wool. The burrow inhabited by a Puffin 

 may be generally distinguished from that which a Shearwater 

 frequents by the quantity of dung at its orifice. The latter, bird 

 being nocturnal in its habits, does not so frequently enter and leave, 

 the hole as the busy Puffin, and leaves fewer traces after her. 



On enquiring for the Great Black-backed Gull, our guide took 

 us to the narrow western extremity of the island, where the 

 ridge is lower and exclusively rocky. Here, on the very top, 

 we found a nest of this species, composed of tufts of thrift and 

 some withered stems. It contained three handsomely-marked 

 eggs. Our guide had previously this year taken another set 

 of eggs of the Great Saddle-back from this spot, to eat. Lower 

 down among the rocks. Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backs 

 had their nests. Mr. Barriugton pointed out a rocky islet rising 

 to a height of 50 or 60 feet, where from his experience in 

 St. Kilda he expected to find, and accordingly did find, on the 

 very summit, another nest of the Great Black-backed Gull with 

 three eggs. We saw some pairs of Choughs frequenting Puffin 

 Island, which appeared to have nests in the lower cliffs. A 

 deserted nest of the Hooded Crow in the cavity of a projecting 

 spur, was easily accessible from the slope above which it rose, 

 and strikingly contrasted with the inaccessible positions in 

 which I have found this species breeding in more frequented 

 places. 



K. J. USSHER. 



