42 
3IEM0IR OF PENNANT. 
manner, tlie adventurer wafts himself over, and 
returns with his booty, which is the eggs or young 
of the black-hacked gull, and the herring gull.” 
We shall next accompany Pennant to the Faroe 
Islands, of which he has given an interesting de- 
scription ; as also of the common land birds, and 
the method of fowling practised by the inhabitants. 
“ The list of land birds is very small ; the cinereous 
eagle, the lamier, the sparrow-hawk, a species of 
owl, the raven, and hooded-crow, are the perni- 
cious species. Ravens were so destructive to the 
lambs and sheep, that in old times every boatman 
was obliged to bring into the Sessions-house, on 
St. Olaus’s da}', the beak of one of those birds ; or 
pay one skin, which was called the raven-fine, in 
case of neglect. The remaining land fowl are wild 
pigeons and stares, white wagtails, wrens, and some- 
times swallows. The snow-bunting only rests here 
in spring, on its passage northward. The heron is 
sometimes met with ; the spoon-bill is common ; 
the sea-pie, water-rail, and lapwing are seen here. 
The birds of the rocks, such as puffins, razor-bills, 
and little auks, foolish and black guillemots, swarm 
here ; and the geyir-fugl or great auk, at certain 
periods, visits these islands ; the last, b}' reason of its 
short wing, incapable of flight, nestles at the foot of 
the cliffs. Tlie skua, arctic, black-backed, and her- 
ring gulls, fulmars, manks, stormy petrels, imber 
and northern divers, wild swans and geese (the 
swans only vernal passengers towards the north), 
