ORNITHOLOGY Of SECTION D, 1850. 
. 
SOME OBSERVATIONS 
ON THE 
BIRDS OF THE FAROE ISLANDS, 
By J. WOLLEY, M.A. 

THe Fauna and Flora of the Faroe Islands have received much 
attention in several departments of natural history, for from their 
peculiar position, as a connecting link between Europe and North 
America, through Iceland and Greenland, the character of their 
productions is a study of importance to the physical geographer. 
However, observers have been but few, and I therefore venture to 
offer some small contributions towards their Ornithology, which 1 
collected in the summer of 1849, in a visit of five weeks duration. 
The birds have indeed been already described more than once, but 
many errors are prevalent with respect to those which breed there, 
and the lines of distinction between true natives, summer and winter 
residents, and mere wayfarers, are so far incorrectly drawn. 
I will only allude, in a few words, to the kind of accommodation 
which the Faroe Islands afford to the feathered race. Situate in 
an open sea, and also an intermediate station on the high way ' 
Iceland, they offer a resting place to wanderers over the oceal. 
Most of the islands of which the group is composed, are moul- 
tains, whose foundations are far below the surface of the water, au 
their sides are divided into horizontal terraces from the bedding 
the trap rock. In many places, especially to the north and west, 
there are precipices of such a stupendous height, as to have their 
summits generally in the clouds, and they are often perpendicular 
from top to bottom; but they are frequently interrupted by brow 
grassy ledges, upon which the sloping turf is generally undermin 
by the holes of countless Puffins, Mormon fratercula, On little 
shelves, on the face of the precipices themselves, breed the Guille- 
mots ; and on any projecting point, the Kittiwakes, L. tridacty! 
place their nest; whilst the Razorbills, Alea torda, are on more 
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