TO ORKNEY AND SHETLAND. 23 



engaged a boat, .which during my stay in Lerwick 

 I hired by the day ; the owner, who accompanied 

 us, and my servant were quite sufficient to manage 

 on short journeys, such as shooting along the 

 shore in the neighbourhood, &c. In this manner 

 I visited all the voes or inlets of the sea within 

 seven or eight miles of Lerwick. The birds I 

 procured on these expeditions were chiefly Eider 

 and Long-tailed Ducks, Great Northern and Red- 

 throated Divers ; the two latter species are not 

 very plentiful in this part of Shetland, and are 

 extremely shy, and difficult to obtain a shot at. 

 The Crested and other Shags are plentiful about 

 the south entrance of the harbour, and the Rock- 

 Pigeon is to be found on the cliffs in the neigh- 

 bourhood, but are not numerous. After having 

 spent some time in collecting specimens of the 

 above birds, I was informed that a small island 

 in the neighbourhood was a favourite breeding- 

 place of the Arctic Gulls, and being anxious to 

 obtain some I immediately set off thither. The 

 island is called Noss, and is situated at the east 

 end of the Island of Bressa, from which it is 

 separated by a narrow sound. The east end of 

 Noss Island rises abruptly from the sea to the 

 height of 600 feet, the summit of which consider- 

 ably overhangs the base, from which circumstance 



