THE BIRDS OF ST KILDA 243 



likely it is to him that we are indebted for this and for 

 some other questionable statements.] 



U RiA GRYLLE, Blttck Guillemot. — There can be no doubt 

 whatever that Martin's description (p. 59 of his book) of 

 the plumage of the bird he names the " Scraber " is appli- 

 cable to this species, though his account of its habits 

 and nesting refer with equal certainty to the Manx 

 Shearwater. The latter bird is still called Scraber 

 (pronounced Scrapire) by the St Kildans. 



The next reference to this bird as a St Kildan species 

 is that of Atkinson, who observed it in 1831. Mac- 

 Gillivray tells us, in 1840, that it was less abundant 

 than the common species ; and Milner, in 1847, found it 

 breeding on Dun. The island of Dun and the neigh- 

 bouring cliffs of Hirta are the main breeding-places and 

 resorts at the present time of this somewhat uncommon 

 species. 



We only saw two examples of this bird : an adult off 

 Dun on 4th September 19 10, and an immature bird 

 which frequented the head of the East Bay. Here 

 we often watched it flying and swimming under water, 

 in shallows covering the strip of sandy beach, in hot 

 pursuit of the crustacean Gammarus marinus. 



Alle alle, Little Auk. — Dixon (p. 90) was informed 

 that this bird occurs sparingly at St Kilda in winter. 



Fratercula arctica, Puffin. — Martin (pp. 62-63) 

 treats of this species under the name of " Bouger," and 

 gives an account of the habits of this bird, which, then 

 as now, is one of the species largely captured with rod 

 and noose for food. It is the most numerous of 

 the birds resorting to the St Kilda group of islands, 

 where in the summer season it is more abundant than 

 elsewhere in the British Isles. 



