REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1902 221 



Suppose that in his care is the islet of the tern — here 

 denominated, with baffling etymology, "the knox." Over- 

 head, on the smallest disturbance, a confused and plaintive 

 crying, as these most delicately-shaped of sea-birds — the 

 sea-swallows — pass in swift agitation to and fro. Undis- 

 tinguishable in the moving crowd, save by the practised eye, 

 four varieties of the bird are 'represented ; the "common"' 

 and the arctic (closely resembling one the other), the larger 

 Sandwich, and the rarer "roseate," its breast-feathers exquisitely 

 tinted. This overhead ; upon the ground, nicest precaution 

 to be observed in planting the foot. For the fine, gritty 

 gravel and rough herbage of the sloping shore are set and 

 planted — here, there, yonder, and just beyond — with small 

 and greenish egj^s, two to the nest — nay, to the clutch, for 

 nest is none. With eggs, but not eggs only ; for the ground 

 is moving with baby chicks — a very tender, winning life- 

 form — coloured to match itself. Hence our precautions. (It 

 is laughable to see the older birdies run, and, hoping to 

 escape detection, stick their heads in the first crevice.) Nor 

 must we linger long, for half an hour's disturbance of the 

 sitting birds may suffice to chill their eggs. 



The outlying Megstone Rock is the haunt of the ravenous 

 cormorant. Upon the Crumstone, seals may sometimes be 

 counted to the number of twenty or thirty. But say we turn 

 now to the Pinnacle, the nest-ground of the guillemots. It 

 is approached by landing on the Staples Islet, upon whose 

 cliffs nest black-backed gulls, and those most quaint of birds, 

 the puffins, or sea-parrots. That showy bird, the oyster- 

 catcher, or sea-pie, utters his sharp, repeated note, and lights 

 upon the headland ; whilst, as you pass, you may stoop and 

 fondle with the hand an eider-duck, so closely does she sit, 

 defying all disturbance. We have now left behind us the 

 sandstone formation of the inner island ; the Pinnacle is formed 

 by a cluster of dark basaltic columns rising sheer from the 

 sea, within a few yards of the Staples Cliff. This is the 

 breeding-ground chosen for itself by the "foolish" guillemot, 

 and the choice serves to stultify the epithet applied to the 

 bird. Standing upon the cliff, and looking over to the column, 

 the sight is of its kind the most striking I have known. 

 Close-packed as slaves within the hold of a slave-ship, stand 



