OYSTERCATCRER AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. 287 



ground is under 150 metres from cover. Here the birds are 

 irregular visitors, mostly in the mornings and in bad weather, 

 if tides are suitable. West of Weak Law is a bed of shale 

 abundantly supplied with shell-fish of various kinds and suitable 

 size. It lies more than 150 metres from cover. The rocks at 

 Weak Law are poor in Mytilus, but rather rich in Modiolus and 

 Patella. They run well out to sea. Approach, however, is easy 

 owing to the lie and nature of the rocks. They are seldom 

 visited. Further east lies a great mass of lava, portions of 

 which are permanently cut off from the main mass by water. 

 Mytilus is abundant but small. The birds visit these rocks 

 frequently, and are here difficult to approach. The western 

 part of Fidra Brig (lava) provides quantities of Mytilus and 

 Modiolus. The rock is hummocky, and the feeding area is not 

 too far from the mainland. The birds visit occasionally and can 

 be stalked with comparative ease. Eyebroughty Brig lies more 

 than 360 metres from the mainland, opposite the central portion 

 of the shore area. It is used as a refuge. The stock of birds 

 is small. 



The Seacliff settlement is small. The features are similar to 

 those found at Eyebroughty, but the depth of foreshore is less, 

 and there is a severe exposure to storms. In some places the 

 Mytilus stations are within 150 metres of the grass. A long 

 volcanic reef, dry at high water, lies well off shore, is used as a 

 refuge, and probably also as a feeding-ground. 



The Lamb station is peculiar in that the islet forms both the 

 refuge and the principal feeding-ground. Supplies are also 

 drawn from the Longskellies and from skerries off North Ber- 

 wick. The exposure is fairly severe. The feeding-grounds are 

 difficult of access. The stock is small. 



The small Cuthill settlement lives in unusual surroundings. 

 A low-lying, slabby rock centres a small bay of gravelly sand, 

 and lies about 180 metres from the coast road. A small harbour, 

 a tile-works, a coal-pit, and a number of miners' rows partially 

 surround the locality, which is in itself rather difficult of 

 access, and therefore not much disturbed. The rock has a good 

 supply of Mytilus. A volcanic dyke, dry at high water, lies off 

 shore, and is used as a refuge and a Mytilus feeding-ground. 



Two large Mytilus stations of rock-beach habitat occur at 



