CHAPTER XXIV 



THE FLANNAN ISLES AND THEIR BIRD-VISITORS : ANOTHER 

 STUDY OF THE FAR-WESTERN PASSAGE MOVEMENTS 



Away to the westward of Lewis, the northernmost isle 

 of the Hebrides, and hence right out in the Atlantic, 

 lies an insignificant archipelago of islets, known only to 

 the few who are interested in the remotest spots amid 

 the British seas — namely, the Flannan Islands. 



Here, in the year 1899, ^ lighthouse was erected on 

 the largest of this group, Eilean Mor. The keepers at 

 this lonely station were, in due course, requested to keep 

 a record of the visits of any migratory birds that came 

 under their notice. This request they most obligingly 

 complied with, and the records obtained were of a some- 

 what surprising nature, since they unmistakably indicated 

 that the islands, in spite of their far- western situation, were 

 annually visited by a considerable number of migrants 

 representing not a few species. The unexpected success 

 which attended these investigations, suggested that it 

 was desirable that a visit should be paid to the island 

 during the period of the autumn movements, in the hope 

 of adding to our knowledge of its migratory bird-life, and 

 of stimulating and interesting the light-keepers in the 

 work of observing in the future. With these objects 

 in view, Mr T. G. Laidlaw and I spent sixteen days 



260 



