THE BIRDS OF ST KILDA 239 



gives the native name of " Tuliac." Macaulay (p. 158) 

 tells us that this bird is hated by every St Kildan, on 

 account of its being a destroyer of young sea-fowls and 

 of eggs, and if caught, " they outvie one another in 

 torturing this imp of hell to death." 



It is a resident species, and fairly plentiful. We 

 saw both young and old birds in numbers throughout 

 our visits. 



RissA TRiDACTYLA, Kittiwake. — This, by far the most 

 abundant of the St Kildan Gulls, is, no doubt, the third 

 and smallest of the " Sea-Malls" mentioned by Martin 

 in his 1697 list, where it is named " Reddag," and is 

 described as being white and less than a tame duck, and 

 as arriving on 15 th April and departing in August. 

 The accuracy of the dates given by Martin is confirmed 

 by other observers. 



Although the Kittiwake quits its nesting-haunts on 

 the cliffs during August, yet it by no means leaves the 

 vicinity of the islands, and its peculiar cries were often 

 heard throughout our visits. During September 191 1 

 young birds were numerous in the bay. There were 

 hundreds of these birds close to the cliffs of Boreray 

 when we steamed under them on 8th October 1910. 



Megalestris catarrhactes. Great Skua. — Dixon 

 (p. 87) remarks that this species appears on St Kilda at 

 irregular intervals, but he quotes neither instances nor 

 authority for the statement. 



I am inclined to think that it visits the seas in 

 the immediate vicinity of the islands at regular periods. 

 We saw one close to Boreray, and six others at sea, 

 on 8th October 1910 ; and one was observed off Boreray 

 on 1 2th October 191 1. It probably also occurs in the 

 spring. 



