THE BIRD ROCKS. 97 



quarter to half a mile in length, the longest diameter 

 extending east and west. The top is nearly flat and 

 slopes gently towards the south. It is formed, as seen 

 from the south side through a good glass at a distance 

 of half a mile, of red friable sandstone, with thin beds of 

 grit, which near the water's edge are several feet in 

 thickness, while several loose fragments look like bowl- 

 ders, though there are no true transported rocks- on the 

 island. 



The islets were nearly white on top, and I supposed 

 this was due to the guano, but Mr. Bradford assured me 

 that the white frosting, as it seemed to be, was the birds 

 themselves ; and sure enough, except a central patch of 

 brown and green herbage, the western end was in part, 

 and the eastern half of the island entirely, white with 

 female gannets, resting on the rock above as well as on 

 the larger shelves on the sides, while the small nooks and 

 shelves of grit were appropriated by myriads of murres. 



At the report of a gun swarms of birds would rise 

 from the rock and flutter in the air like flies, and at a 

 rough estimate 10,000 were there. To the leeward 

 many gannets, males, were seated in the water or flying 

 over it, in company with a few murres — but nearly all 

 were as if in ceaseless motion, and busy fishing or re- 

 turning with fish to the avian metropolis.* 



* In this connection it is interesting to read the description of the Bird Rock 

 in Cartier's first voyage. 



"Wee went southeast about 15 leagues, and came to three Hands, two of 

 which are as steepe and vpright as any wall, so that it was not possible to climbe 

 them; and betweene them there is a little rocke. These Hands were as full of 

 birds, as any field or medow is of grasse, which there do make their nestes ; 

 and in the greatest of them there was a great and infinite number of those that 

 wee call Margaulx, that are white, and bigger than ainy geese, which were 

 seuered in one part. In the other were onely Godetz, but toward the shoare 



