222 Mr. Atkinson's Notice of St. Kilda. 



probable that whatever its food be, it is something with which we are 

 not unacquainted. The only places where the Fulmar breeds in Great 

 Britain, are, here in immense numbers, and a few on the South Isles of 

 Barra, in the outer Hebrides. They make no nest, but place their egg 

 on the rich vegetation of the narrow shelves on the higher parts of the 

 rocks. 



In capturing the Guillemot, very little skill is required. The stupi- 

 dity they evince is almost incredible, scarcely stirring from the ledges 

 they sit on till the climber, in his descent, has displaced them to gain 

 footroom for himself; and when the fatal noose approaches, making 

 no more active exertions to avoid its embrace than by shuffling to the 

 extremest part of the ledge, and endeavouring to catch it in their 

 bills. 



On the first coming of the Guillemots in March, they sometimes 

 catch immense quantities by the following contrivance : — A short time 

 before dusk, a fowler clambers into some sheltered nook, which he 

 knows to be a favourite resort of these birds, and having provided him- 

 self with a dead bird, or the stuffed skin of one, he displays its white 

 breast before him : on the return of the birds from the sea, they perceive 

 this, and imagining it, I suppose, to be a companion, who has already 

 comfortably settled himself for the evening, come pouring in, in myri- 

 ads, to keep him company. The fowler has then only to take them, 

 one by one, from beside him, and quietly twist their necks. 



Puffins are in exceeding abundance ; they seem like a dense flock of 

 midges as they skim noiselessly by, and, on the south side of Borera, 

 where they chiefly dwell, sit in such close masses on the rocks and 

 stones projecting from the grassy slope, that we often knocked two or 

 three at a time from their seats, which rolled away down the hill, with 

 the stones we had hurled at them, apparently killed, but generally un- 

 deceived us, by taking wing, and skimming merrily on again. The in- 

 habitants assured us if the feathers be plucked from a live Puffin, and 

 only just sufficient left in his wing to allow him to fly with, his next 

 plumage will be white ; they endeavoured to point out one of these 

 birds, a few of which are about the islands, but without success. 



