2054 Birds, *c. 



with whom he used sometimes to go home under the idea, as it was supposed, that 

 they were the lords of the rat-preserve in the barn, and who, being fond of Toby, in 

 common with the whole village, used occasionally to give him 



' A bit of their supper, a bit of their bed,' 



knew nothing of him. Great was the consternation at the Rectory. Hints were 

 thrown out that ' The Tramps ' in the green lane had secreted him with the worst in- 

 tentions, for he was plump and sleek ; but their camp was searched in vain. The 

 worthy family retired for the night, all mourning for Toby : and we believe there is no 

 doubt that when the reverend master of the house came down on Sunday morning, 

 his first question was, * Any tidings of Toby?'— a melancholy ' No, sir,' was the 

 answer. After an early breakfast, the village schools were heard — their rewards dis- 

 tributed, not without inquiries for Toby — and when church-time came, it is said that 

 the rector, who walked the short distance in full canonicals, looked over his shoulder 

 more than once. He passed through the respectful country-people collected in the 

 little green grave-yard, who looked up to him as their pastor and friend ; he entered 

 the low-roofed old Norman porch, overhung with ivy ; he walked up the aisle, the 

 well-filled pews on either side bearing testimony that his sober-minded flock hungered 

 not for the excitement of fanaticism ; he entered the reading-desk, and, as he was ad- 

 justing his hassock, caught the eye of Toby twinkling at him out of the darkest corner. 

 Need we say more, than that after this, Toby was permitted to go to church, with the 

 unanimous approbation of the parish, as long as he lived. Now if this was not calcu- 

 lation on the part of Toby, we know not what else to term it, and we could refer our 

 readers to well -authenticated stories in print — as our dear old nurse used to say when 

 she was determined to silence all incredulity — that go as far, and even farther, to show 

 that these animals can calculate intervals of time.'' — ' Zoological Recreations,' p. 184. 



Some Account of the People of St. Kilda and of the Birds of the Outer Hebrides. 

 By W. M. E. Milner, Esq. 



As my observations on the birds of Sutherlandshire and Ross-shire seem to have 

 been interesting to the readers of the ' Zoologist,' I have great pleasure in continuing 

 an account of our researches in the outer Hebrides and St. Kilda, and by your per- 

 mission will add a short account of the extraordinary people of that remote island. 



I brought our account of the birds of Ross-shire as far as the coast of Skye, from 

 which island we took our departure, in Mr. Matheson's steamer, for Stornaway ; and 

 after a delightful passage of seven hours and a half, cast anchor in the capital of the 

 outer Hebrides, on a charming summer's morning, the 29th of May. The whole po- 

 pulation seemed busily engaged in the herring fishery, and we remained only long 

 enough to be most hospitably received by Mr. Scobie, Mr. Mattheson's factor, who fa- 

 cilitated in every possible way our journey to the Harris. We saw nothing at Storn- 

 away, except very fine specimens of the golden and white-tailed eagle, both taken a 

 short time before we arrived there ; the latter trapped near its nest (in the neighbour- 

 hood of Stornaway), which contained one egg. The whole of the east and middle of 



