BIBB LIFE ON THE ISLAND OF EIGG. 231 



21. Book (Corvus frugilegus). — We noticed several in the 

 centre of the island not far from the schoolhouse, but saw no in- 

 dications of a rookery as mentioned by Mr. Harvie-Brown (1886). 



22. Sky-Lark (Alauda arvensis). — The song of these melodious 

 birds could be heard all over the island. 



23. Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). — In the vicinity of the Bay of 

 Laig the call of the Cuckoo often broke upon the ear amid the 

 general silence, and these birds were well distributed over the 

 island. 



24. Barn-Owl (Strix flammed). — In the inn at Laig we saw 

 a stuffed bird taken the previous winter in the barn by the 

 shepherd. 



25. Common Buzzard (Buteo vulgaris). — When at the Shear- 

 waters on the cliffs at Cleadale, a pair of these birds were circling 

 high overhead, uttering their shrill mewing cry, and next day at 

 the wild rocky headland of Rhuda-an-Aeseid, on the south-west, 

 another pair were seen. One of the birds repeatedly flew to 

 and from the cliff face, whilst the other circled high above the 

 waters of the Sound of Bum. We suspected they had young, 

 but the overhanging nature of the rocks prevented us from 

 obtaining a view of the supposed nesting-site. 



26. Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregri7ius) . — Whilst sitting on 

 the top of the cliffs watching the Buzzards and enjoying the 

 beauty of the scene, a pair of Peregrines were noticed dashing 

 along the face of the precipice. 



27. Shag (Phalacrocorax graculus). — At several points along 

 the sea-cliffs we were able to see some distance along the shore and 

 on the rocks below we could distinguish many of these birds. 

 They nest in the numerous caves that penetrate the cliffs all 

 along the coast. 



28. Gannet (Sula bassana). — If reliance can be placed on an 

 ancient account by Dean Munro, who visited the Hebrides 

 between 1540 and 1549, it appears these birds at one time nested 

 on the cliffs of Eigg. His quaint description is interesting : 

 " North from Elian Muchd be foure myles, lyes an iyle called 

 iyle of Egga, foure myle lange and twa myle braid, guid maine 

 land with a Paroch Kirk in it and maney Solane geese." We 

 saw two of these birds diving and fishing in the Sound of Bum, 

 within a mile of the shore. 



