SUMMER IN LLEYN. 47 



or small cavern, with sheer rock below and overhanging cliff 

 above. The floor appeared to be flat, with a good growth of 

 herbage and dark green grass in front, and two big stones 

 in the foreground. I several times saw a bird go in, and it 

 always went behind the stones. They brought food from inland. 

 They were silent when they first appeared wheeling in front of 

 the rock, but on and after catching sight of me they kept up a 

 loud " quayk, quayk, quayk" when flying, and also when settled 

 on a bit of rock. The male was warmly coloured underneath. 

 They often struck at Herring- Gulls, once at a Chough, once at 

 a Jackdaw, and twice at Cormorants, causing great outcries from 

 the birds attacked, but doing no damage. It was a fine sight to 

 see them close their wings, turn a little sideways, and shoot 

 down. Cormorants were quite happily sitting on their nests 

 just above the eyrie. I doubt if the Falcons often molest the 

 birds breeding around them. It was very fine to hear the deep, 

 reedy, bassoon-like "howk" of the Cormorants, repeated many 

 times, and very quickly at the finish. This cry is uttered when 

 the birds fly in to the cliff, or wheel past the face of the rock. I 

 saw Cormorants often fetch sticks, &c, from disused (or tem- 

 porarily vacated ?) nests, and bring them to the nest on which 

 their mates were sitting, seeming pleased and proud of what 

 they had done, and trumpeting loudly. Other birds were lying 

 down and bending their necks backwards, until their upper 

 mandible rested on their lower back ; they then shuffled their 

 wings. A most curious sight. In the afternoon Cormorants 

 seemed to enjoy flying round in great curves in front of the rock, 

 chiefly on motionless outstretched wings. They go across the 

 land to feed, doubtless to the shallows of the sandy south coast. 

 Fifteen species of birds frequented the rock, and from observa- 

 tion and information I believe they all bred there, viz. Peregrine, 

 Kestrel, Crow, Chough, Jackdaw, Eock-Pipit, Wren, Barn-Owl, 

 Herring-Gull, Kittiwake, Shag, Cormorant, Guillemot, Eazorbill, 

 and a small unidentified blue Pigeon. It only required a few 

 Puffins to make as fine a rock-bird station as any in the British 

 Islands. I saw all the birds except the Owl. 



To return to the summer of 1905. The young Choughs from 

 the nest at Porth Felen got off again this year, as they always 

 do, the nest being quite inaccessible. It was probably these 



