BIRD LIFE ON THE ISLAND OF EIGG. 233 



came quite close to the boat as we were passing Castle Island, 

 which enabled us to perfectly identify them. We also saw a 

 few near Muck. We did not expect to find this species here, 

 and no previous record of it has been given. We looked for 

 Arctic Terns, but saw none, though I understand they breed 

 irregularly on several of the islets. 



42. Common Gull (Larus canus). — We noticed individual 

 birds on various parts of the island, but as a nesting species it 

 was by no means numerous. We found a colony of over twenty 

 pairs nesting on some shelving rocks on the south coast. 



43. Herring Gull (Larus argentatus). — Nesting in small 

 numbers at "Bidein Boidheach." Observed birds all round the 

 coast. 



44. Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus). — The same 

 remarks apply to this as to the previous species. 



45. Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marim(s).— We found 

 these birds here and there over the island. Landing from a 

 small boat under considerable difficulty at the foot of the high 

 sea-cliffs about a mile to the west of the McLeods' Cave, with a 

 view to finding a nest of the Black Guillemot, we came on a nest 

 of this Gull containing one addled egg and a chick a few days 

 old. It was a fine specimen, and even then showed the fierce 

 nature of this species by pecking at and seizing hold of the finger 

 held out to it. We also saw several nests on an adjacent islet. 



46. Kittiwake Gull (Rissa tridactyla). — On the same islet 

 we saw a number of these birds nesting. 



47. Bazorbill (Alca torda). — We saw one or two birds 

 between Castle Island and Eigg, and several in the Sound of 

 Eigg. We did not find it as a breeding species on the island, 

 but we saw several nesting on a rocky islet a few miles distant. 



48. Common Guillemot (Uria troile). — Observed several off 

 shore in the Sound of Eigg, and also on the east side of the 

 island. A good many were nesting on the same islet where we 

 found the Bazorbill. 



49. Black Guillemot (Uria grylle). — These birds were 

 numerous. We saw a pair on Castle Island and several on the 

 south coast between Castle Island and the Dubh Sgeir. We 

 met many on the water in the Sound of Eigg, also in Laig 

 Bay, and one bird when crossing to Arisaig. They were mostly 



Zaol. 4th ser. vol. XVIII., June, 1914. T 



