228 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



the west to Kildonan on the east, besides visiting about a dozen 

 small lochs scattered among the hills around the " Scuir," with 

 a view to discovering what bird life was on the island. On the 

 third and last day of our visit we made an excursion by motor- 

 boat to Muck, which lies between three and four miles to the 

 south, and whilst crossing the Sound of Eigg we had an inter- 

 esting encounter with a Lesser Eorqual Whale. Sailing close 

 inshore to view the sea-birds which abound on the high cliffs 

 along the south coast, our attention was drawn to the huge 

 dorsal fin of the monster as it swam along near the surface of 

 the water, and bringing the boat round we ran alongside of it, 

 passing between it and the shore. We could see the creature 

 from head to tail, and estimated it to be at least thirty feet long 

 by comparing it with the boat, which measured twenty-eight feet. 

 Mr. Glendinning, who was with us, gave it a prod with one of 

 the heavy oars we had in the boat, when it plunged down and 

 disappeared. 



We spent an hour or two on Muck, which is a flat fertile 

 island, forming a strong contrast to Eigg, and also landed on 

 one or two islets, where numerous sea-birds breed. 



Although presenting a somewhat barren appearance when 

 viewed from a passing steamer, the Island of Eigg— which lies 

 about ten miles west from Arisaig, the nearest mainland — is so 

 pleasingly diversified by hill and dale, besides possessing a fair 

 share of woodland on the east side, that it is not altogether 

 surprising to find such a large variety of bird-life as abounds. 

 So far as I am aware, no account of the birds of Eigg has 

 appeared since 1892, when an entertaining chapter on Eigg was 

 given by Mr. J. A. Harvie-Brown in his book on the ' Vertebrate 

 Fauna of Argyll and the Inner Hebrides.' The account, how- 

 ever, as the author states, is largely based on a previous one 

 written by Mr. William Evans (published in the 'Proceedings 

 of the Royal Physical Society,' vol. viii., 1884-85), who visited 

 the island in June, 1884. In the ' Zoologist ' for 1888 there 

 also appeared an interesting paper on the subject written by 

 A. H. and H. A. Macpherson. 



Mr. Evans personally observed fifty species, and from various 

 sources of information he made up a total list of eighty-four. Of 

 these, however, viz., the Bullfinch, the Short-eared Owl, the 



