﻿374 
  

  

  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST 
  

  

  The 
  nest 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  had 
  a 
  scanty 
  lining 
  of 
  grass 
  or 
  sea- 
  

   weed, 
  but 
  in 
  places 
  where 
  sand 
  or 
  small 
  pebbles 
  appeared 
  beneath 
  

   the 
  boulders, 
  no 
  materials 
  of 
  any 
  kind 
  were 
  used, 
  the 
  egg 
  lying 
  

   in 
  a 
  small 
  hollow 
  on 
  bare 
  sand. 
  The 
  nests 
  were 
  found 
  only 
  on 
  

   the 
  north 
  and 
  east 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  island, 
  amongst 
  large 
  banks 
  of 
  

   boulders. 
  It 
  was 
  only 
  while 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  their 
  nests 
  that 
  

   the 
  presence 
  of 
  the 
  birds 
  was 
  betrayed 
  by 
  the 
  smell 
  peculiar 
  to 
  

   the 
  Petrel 
  ; 
  this 
  odour 
  was 
  very 
  marked 
  as 
  one 
  lay 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  

   the 
  stony 
  bank, 
  or 
  removed 
  the 
  stones 
  in 
  search 
  for 
  the 
  nest, 
  

   when 
  the 
  birds 
  also 
  uttered 
  a 
  peculiar 
  cheeping 
  note. 
  

  

  Young 
  of 
  Procellaria 
  pelagica 
  (half 
  uat. 
  size). 
  

  

  Both 
  Common 
  and 
  Arctic 
  Terns 
  were 
  also 
  nesting 
  on 
  this 
  

   island. 
  Large 
  numbers 
  of 
  eggs 
  much 
  advanced 
  in 
  incubation 
  

   were 
  lying 
  in 
  little 
  hollows 
  on 
  the 
  grass 
  ; 
  young 
  birds 
  were 
  also 
  

   seen, 
  both 
  in 
  down 
  and 
  some 
  nearly 
  fully 
  Hedged. 
  

  

  King-Plovers 
  (Mgialitis 
  hiaticola) 
  and 
  Oystercatchers 
  {Hcema- 
  

   topus 
  ostralegus) 
  were 
  common. 
  I 
  was 
  surprised 
  to 
  see 
  a 
  Dunlin 
  

   (Tringa 
  alpina), 
  in 
  fine 
  plumage, 
  on 
  this 
  lonely 
  rock. 
  The 
  

   boatman 
  told 
  me 
  that 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  Royal 
  Gulls 
  (Larus 
  marinas) 
  

   bred 
  on 
  the 
  island 
  both 
  this 
  and 
  every 
  other 
  year 
  in 
  his 
  memory 
  ; 
  

   the 
  pair 
  sailed 
  majestically 
  over 
  our 
  boat 
  when 
  leaving. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  sea, 
  between 
  the 
  mainland 
  and 
  the 
  island, 
  were 
  large 
  

  

  