102 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



rocky points jutting far out. Some Cormorants and Shags flew 

 out of the big cave on St. Tudwal's as we passed in the boat, 

 but I did not see any late Shags' nests. Some years ago I 

 mentioned seeing a pair of Eed Grouse on the Eivals, and it 

 turns out that these mountains have long been known to 

 harbour the Iar Mynydd. Writing of Trer Caeri and the Eivals, 

 Pennant says ('Tours,' 1773-6), "The space on the top is an 

 irregular area ; part is steep, part flat : in most parts covered 

 with heath, giving shelter to a few Eed Grouse." The Grouse 

 on Ehiw, if any remain, are said to be found about the north 

 or north-east end towards Sarn ; at the other end the bell- 

 heather and dwarf gorse are so thick and close you can almost 

 walk on the top of them in places — too thick for cover ; there is 

 little ling. 



Apart from the late-breeding sea-birds, the end of July is a 

 bad season for the ornithologist ; but a little time then may be 

 spent profitably in confirming one's impressions gained in spring 

 of the status of the ordinary small birds. I found nothing new 

 in that way. I saw the Bed-backed Shrike again near Mynydd 

 Mawr. Eock Pipits were very numerous on the islands. Stone- 

 chats were numerous, and I noticed some on the bleak open 

 table top of Ehiw. The Grey Wagtail haunted its old breeding- 

 place in Porth Saint. The Nightjar (" Troell," the spinning- 

 wheel) bred on Ehiw this year, and I heard two "turring" at 

 Abersoch. A Starling seemed to be breeding late, for I saw it 

 go down the chimney of the deserted building on St. Tudwal's 

 island on the 24th. I was more than ever struck with the 

 extraordinary abundance of the Blackbird, even at the far end 

 of Lleyn, about Aberdaron. Walking from there to Careg (where 

 woodland birds become more abundant) we passed on the road- 

 side a long heap of very rotten farmyard manure, and flushed 

 from it from a dozen to fifteen Blackbirds. They had scratched 

 it down on to the road, just as if a score of strong yard hens 

 had been at work. It was not an uncommon thing to come 

 upon birds of the year skulking in ditches and little gullies and 

 so tame that they merely shuffled their wings and cried " tuck, 

 tuck " when you were close to them. House-Martins were local 

 and rather scarce, but Swallows were in average numbers. 

 They breed about almost any farm or deserted building. Down 



