THE FLANNAN ISLES 265 



The Flannan Isles may be regarded as one of the 

 chief breeding-stations of this species in the British 

 Isles — and will probably long remain so, thanks to the 

 inaccessibility of these islands. On Eilean Mor they 

 are abundant, more so than the Storm-Petrel, and, 

 like that species, fly noisily over the island during the 

 short summer nights. They lay earlier than pelagica, 

 the earliest date for their eggs being 29th May, but 

 their nesting habits are very similar. We found their 

 nurseries under stones among turf; in holes in turf, 

 overgrown with grass, yet showing not the slightest 

 signs of the incomings or outgoings of the occupants ; 

 and in the walls of the old buildings. In some of 

 the burrows, the mat-like cradles of roots and fibrous 

 vegetable matter were placed several feet from the 

 entrance. The chicks are much darker in colour than 

 those of the Storm-Petrel, being sooty black ; they 

 were also, as a rule, a little more advanced, but youngsters 

 only a few days old were found during the early days of 

 our visit, as well as others in every stage up to those 

 almost ready to fly. The old birds were entirely absent 

 during the daytime, and only occasionally came under 

 notice at night when they visited the lantern. 



Fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis. — A few pairs have bred 

 on the outer islands for several years, and in 1904 two 

 couples bred on Eilean Mor for the first time. We saw 

 this bird on several occasions during our visit. 



Great Shearwater, Puffinus gravis. — On leaving 

 the islands on 21st September, we saw, from the bridge 

 of the " Pole Star," a few of these birds at sea a little 

 distance off the Flannans. 



The following is a short account of all the migratory 



