358 MISCELLANEA. 



birds of the Islands. Seeing a hole in the ground, I enquired if 

 there were rabbits on the Island. Yes, he replied, but I expect 

 there is a Puffin in that hole — then kneeling down and thrusting 

 his arm into the hole he pulled out an old Puffin and her little, 

 black, young one. After examining the old bird she was thrown 

 into the air, but instead of flying away the bird alighted upon 

 a stone about ten yards in front of us, and there remained look- 

 ing very sullenly at us as if afraid that her chick would come 

 to grief. However, the young bird was replaced in the hole 

 again and left unhurt. 



Up to this time I had been intent upon observing the eggs 

 and young birds only. I now raised my eyes and what a sight 

 presented itself. Hundreds of Gulls were sailing about and 

 screaming above my head, coming so close at times that I could 

 have reached them with a stick. 



"We now returned to our boat and soon landed on another 

 Island, upon which were eggs and young birds in all stages of 

 development. My guide now led me over the top of this Island, 

 and suddenly we saw the top of the Pinnacles, which were 

 covered thickly with old and young birds, chiefly Guillemots. 

 There were eggs also lying on these rocks so close together that 

 it is difficult to imagine how any bird can find its own egg again 

 among the hundreds that lie strewn about. 



The Pinnacles are a group of rocks rising sheer out of the sea 

 to a height of forty or more feet, the tops of which are almost 

 flat, and they are united at the base but divide as they rise up- 

 wards like the flngers of a man's hand. The Guillemots lay but 

 one egg each, which egg, when compared with the size of the 

 bird, is large indeed. They vary very much in colour, and it is 

 almost impossible to find two marked exactly alike. They vary 

 in colour from nearly pure white to sea-green or a brownish-red. 

 Although we were so near the birds sitting with their young or 

 upon their eggs on the top of the Pinnacles, they did not seem 

 in the least afraid. It was a glorious sight, and the confidence 

 shewn by these little creatures was charming. 



Next we returned by the other side of the Island, and on the 

 way observed the nest of the Eider Duck with its three eggs, 



