418 peesibent's abdkess. 



was also noticed. The pinnacles, close by, presented the most 

 wonderful sight to be seen on this Island, the Staples. They 

 are massive pillars of basaltic rock, about fifty feet high, with 

 their flat tops covered with Guillemots standing bolt upright, 

 and crowded as close together as they could stand. They were 

 supposed to be sitting on their eggs, but it was impossible to 

 see any eggs, or to imagine how any bird leaving its egg could 

 find it again in the crowd. Among them could be seen several 

 specimens of the Einged Guillemot as it is called. On the little 

 narrow ledges of the pinnacles below, were to be seen numbers 

 of the beautiful light-coloured Kittiwake closely seated together. 



The party next sailed to the Kettle and landed on the Knoxes. 

 An Eider Duck's nest with seven eggs was observed, and again 

 was noticed the remarkable quietude of these birds, for in only 

 one instance did a Duck leave her nest. But on those Islets 

 the great attraction was innumerable Terns — Arctic, Common, 

 and Sandwich— all of which rose at once when the party landed 

 and flew overhead, whistling and crying, twisting and turning 

 in every direction, and enchanting all with their slender white 

 forms and graceful swallow-like flight. Their beautiful eggs 

 are laid on the sand, shingle, or rock, without any pretence of a 

 nest, and so near together that the greatest care is required to 

 avoid treading on them. Every step needs careful watching, 

 and care has to be taken that one does not inadvertently step, 

 as was nearly done, on an Eider Duck, whose placid, quaker- 

 like demeanour was in amusing contrast to the anxiously crying 

 crowd overhead. Nests of the Ring Dotterel and the Oyster- 

 catcher were also seen, but the nest of the Eock Pipits, which 

 were numerous, was not found. 



The next visit was to the Inner Fames, where St. Cuthbert'^ 

 Chapel was visited, afterwards the Castle, from the top of which 

 a magnificent view of all the Fames, Holy Island, and Bam- 

 burgh Castles, and a wide stretch of country inland was obtained. 

 A shoal of Porpoises kindly entertained the party with their 

 gambols on their return to Sea Houses. Here, after a pleasant 

 voyage of fourteen or fifteen miles, they regretfully parted with 

 their boat's crew, whose bright faces, intelligent information, 



