WEST COAST OF SCOTLAND. 59 



young — I observed resting on the island, but, after remaining a 

 short time, they flew in an easterly direction towards the main- 

 land. On the 9th September we had a severe gale — wind vari- 

 able — and the island is quite deserted by land birds, the only 

 ones remaining being a few Twites. I caught several during the 

 gale dying from exposure. The only sea birds I can see are a 

 few Gannets fishing for food ; but they too leave in the evening 

 in the direction of Barra. A few pairs of Curlews and a few 

 Herring Gulls returned with their young. On the 17th 

 September I observed a solitary Heron feeding around the 

 shore ; and I witnessed a strange incident in connection with it. 

 On the 22d of the same month, while walking round the island, 

 I heard strange cries coming nearer and nearer from a southerly 

 direction, when the Heron got up a few yards from me, and 

 flew in the direction of the cries, it being hazy at the time, and 

 after the lapse of a few minutes I noticed three coming out of 

 the mist evidently overjoyed at seeing one another. They flew 

 round and round, for some time, and then flew off in a north- 

 easterly direction — the wind E.N.E., fresh. 



" On the night of the 4th and 5th October a great number of 

 birds struck the lantern, strange to say the greater number of 

 them being Snipe; but there were also Mavises, Blackbirds, 

 ' Marsh ' (i.e., Meadow) Pipits and Bock Pipits, and a few 

 Pictarnies, all seemingly young birds of the year; but I was 

 surprised to see the Pictarnies, as they had all left, and none 

 had been seen about the island for some time ; and these have 

 evidently been migrating. The island appears to be quite 

 deserted by land birds in the day time. On the night men- 

 tioned the wind was variable — from S.E. to S.W., with drizzling 

 rain. On the 7th October I observed a large flock of Shielducks 

 coming from N.E., and after resting a short time, they got up and 

 flew off south, the wind being at the time S.W." [Beport ending 

 31st October 1886. Here ends Mr Georgeson's notes on Monach.] 



[Now Mr Joseph Agnew takes up the tale, and we make no 

 excuse for quoting his letters : " We had to leave the May a 

 day after the time I expected when I last wrote you, and 

 therefore had not time to visit you at Dunipace, when passing 

 Larbert on our way to Oban." On arriving at Monach Mr 

 Agnew expresses surprise at the universal and populous distri- 

 bution of the Bock Bipit at all stations, S., E., 1ST., and W., where 



