Ornithological Observations in Shetland. 261 



seen them interfered with by the Great or Lesser Blackbacked 

 Gull, nor have either of the latter species joined their assem- 

 blages. As the tide of vilification and inappreciative dislike 

 of the first of these two — the Great Blackbacked Gull — more 

 especially, is apt to rise very high indeed, I may as well say 

 here that, according to my own experience and observation, 

 he must be a very patient and persevering man indeed, who will 

 watch one of these birds till he has actually seen it do any harm 

 whatever. Yet all the while (though it may not have occurred 

 to him) he will have been watching one of the greatest en- 

 hancements of the wilder sea-coast beauties of his native 

 Isles. It has been asked by a landed proprietor what good 

 does this bird do ? But what of the landed proprietor him- 

 self ? I know which does most good on a bold headland. 



A single Cormorant standing now amidst a number of 

 Shags. Its larger size, though at some distance, is at once 

 apparent and gives a more interesting effect to the scene — 

 relieving the sameness, whilst seeming to emphasize the 

 character. 



What I have written above as to the simultaneous flight 

 and return of all the assembled Kittiwakes would equally apply 

 to two assemblages of Shags on two great ' stacks ' of rock 

 at the extreme western point of this Island. They, too, have 

 twice risen, all together, without the slightest warning or 

 indication, flown out over the sea, and by the same common 

 consent, returned and stood or sat as before. ' Wisdom,' we 

 are told, ' cries out in the streets, and no man regards it.' 

 So do facts not in harmony with current ideas. Things are 

 simply not seen, until the cause of their occurrence is either 

 known or supposed to be known. 



On this eastern side of the island, numbers and numbers of 

 Kittiwakes are now wheeling and hawking for fish just off 

 the shore. I have given the prevailing coloration and markings 

 of those that I have seen standing together, but now appears, 

 almost in equal numbers, a variation of these so marked that 

 one might think it belonged to another species, though it can 

 only indicate another and earleir stage of growth. In this 

 there is a broad black ring round the neck or, at least, all that 

 part of it that can be seen in a view from above, for no under 

 one is here possible. The wings are broadly edged with black 

 all along their anterior margin ; and two broad black bands pass 

 across the shoulders, from the neck, all along where the wing 

 joins the body. The tail, too, otherwise white, has a broad 

 black edging. The rest of the colouring of back and wings is of 

 a lighter hue than the blueish or mauvy one of the older birds. 

 It is a lovely sight, these ever-flitting, light, graceful forms (the 

 souls of birds rather than birds themselves they seem) beauti- 

 fully and harmoniously blended, both in their alikeness and 

 unlikeness. The coast-line here is wild cliffs — some lower, 



1917 Aug. 1. 



