FOR THE PEOPLE

FOR EDVCATION

FOR SCIENCE

LIBRARY

OF

THE AMERICAN MUSEUM

OF

NATURAL HISTORY

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5^(4^0

THE BIRDS OF

ION A AND MULL

1852—70

BY THE LATE

HENRY DAVENPORT GRAHAM

AUTHOR OF "THE ANTIQUITIES OF IONA"

WITH A MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR

<^\> EDITED BY

JJ^HARVIE-BROWN, F. Z. S.

MEMBER OF THE BRIT. ORNITH. UNION

Printed by George IVaterston &* Sous

FOR

DAVID DOUGLAS, EDINBURGH.

LONDON, . . . SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT, AND CO., LIMITED.
GLASGOW, . . . JAMES MACLEHOSE AND SONS.
CAMBRIDGE, . . MACMILLAN AND BOWES.

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BIRDS

OF

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LATE.

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EDINBURGH: DAVID DOUGLAS : MDCCCXC

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PREFACE.

When it was first proposed that the late Mr H. D. Graham's MSS.
should be resuscitated and saved from oblivion, the present Editor
had by that time devoted a large share of personal attention to
the Natural History of the West of Scotland and the Isles. But
as he was aware that Mr H. D. Graham's Notes and Letters were
then under able editorship, and had been announced for publica-
tion; he considered his time and opportunities would be better
bestowed upon other districts which were not receiving so much
attention. Although a few occasions did permit of his visiting
portions of Mull, and he kept a few notes of such facts as he met
with, no special care was given to Mull until it became surely
ascertained that the volume on Iona and Mull was not going to
appear under the editorship of Mr Eobert Gray ; nor were any
steps taken until after that gentleman's death to again communi-
cate with the family of Mr Graham regarding the Manuscripts
and Sketches, of which latter the present Editor retained a vivid
recollection, having seen them in Mr Gray's house in Glasgow.
A correspondence ensued with Mr Charles W. Graham, which

VI PREFACE.

resulted in a request to undertake the editing, and finally all the
materials were placed in the present Editor's hands in the begin-
ning of the year 1889. It was also arranged that, as considerable
attention had for some years been bestowed upon many other
districts of Argyll and the Isles, this volume should form one
of the series on the Vertebrate Fauna of Scotland at present
being issued by Mr David Douglas. This was unanimously
approved of by all parties concerned.

As for those who have not yet, of course, been consulted —
viz., the readers of the volume — the present Editor desires that
it should be looked upon somewhat in the light of a relief-volume,
affording insight into the life in the Hebrides not only of the
birds of Iona, but also of the Naturalist who spent so much of
his time and leisure in their pursuit and study. The sketches —
" Heart-pictures " — by the author have been selected for illustra-
tion, not as highly-finished artistic productions, but simply as
partly illustrating the text, partly illustrating Graham's sense of
humour, whilst rapidly drawing them in the long winter evenings
for the amusement of the kind friends with whom he lived, and
also to serve the purpose of a pleasant recollection of his life
and work in Iona amongst his friends and the remaining members
of his family.

After careful consideration he has decided not to bring the
bird-list up to date, but rather to retain Mr Graham's Notes
almost intact ; all the more so, as a later opportunity, under the
title of another volume of the series, will, it is hoped, be given,

PREFACE. Vll

which will at the same time afford the means of bringing up to
date the fauna of a much larger and natural area.

He cannot take leave of his portion of the duties con-
nected with the publication without acknowledging to the full
the advantage he possessed in the previous partial editing of the
late Mr Eobert Gray ; and also his thanks are due to Mr Charles
W. Graham for the excellent condition and chronological order in
which the materials had been lovingly preserved, rendering the
Editor's work all the more a labour of love and a sincere pleasure.
Nor can he omit to record his thanks to Mr William Douglas for
the careful attention and excellent assistance he rendered in con-
nection with the illustrative portions, as well as for his super-
vision of the whole book during its passage through the press.

Lastly, the Editor's thanks are also due to Mr Colin M'Vean,
the early friend and companion of Graham, for his ever ready
and kindly interest and assistance, his contribution towards the
Memoir, and criticism in detail of the sketches, many, if not all,
of the incidents themselves remaining green in his memory.

Dunipace House, Larbert,
8th Sept. 1S00.

IT It v

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<2<£ **^ tyo^ <%}x.4~ t&e&aoL Js&tidL C^ cu.

ORIGINAL PREFACE BY MR ROBERT GRAY

The following pages contain the substance of numerous communica-
tions addressed to me by the late Henry Davenport Graham, Esq.
These were commenced in 1851, and were continued during an interval
of twenty years. Shortly before his death he agreed, at my suggestion,
to their publication, as a memorial of many pleasant years spent in
Iona, and as a contribution to the ornithology of Scotland, to be dedi-
cated chiefly to those who, like himself, preferred seeking their infor-
mation in the open fields. Mr Graham was, in the strictest sense, a
field naturalist, as his glowing descriptions of his favourites and their
interesting haunts abundantly prove. No one, indeed, who has studied
the habits of birds can fail to appreciate what he has written. The
Notes contain so much descriptive power and genuine admiration of
Nature in all her varied aspects that it is impossible not to feel that
their author was a naturalist of rare abilities.

Through the kindness of Mrs Graham, I have been permitted to
examine the collection of drawings executed by her husband during
his residence in Iona. The bird portraits — about one hundred and
seventy in number, and all painted from life — are extremely charac-
teristic, and were at one time, we believe, intended for publication.
These are bound together in a volume, entitled, The Birds of Iona :
All Shot upon that Sacred Island or in its Vicinity ; and each drawing
is supplied with manuscript notes on the habits of the birds and the
localities they frequent, some of which I have made use of in these
pages. In a separate volume, containing upwards of two hundred and
fifty coloured sketches of sporting recollections, extending over a period
of four years, Mr Graham has left a most vivid pictorial history of his

X ORIGINAL PREFACE BY MR ROBERT GRAY.

life in Iona. T have pondered over this " book of sports " with an

intense although a melancholy interest, many of the drawings being

illustrative of incidents narrated in his letters, from which the present

volume has been compiled. In one of the scenes is depicted a life-like

flock of thirteen long-tailed ducks, and the author in his shooting punt

with his two dogs, " Dash " and " Doran," looking eagerly at the result

of a poking shot at the retreating birds ; in another, a vast colony of

Puffins at Lunga Island ; in a third, a Cormorant battue at Staffa ; and

in a, fourth, a Peregrine Falcon exultingly clutching a Chough, while

he himself is being shot at from below.

P. C.

Edinburgh, 1875.

Our deceased friend, the previous Editor, Mr Robert Gray, in
winding up the above preface, goes on to say that in prosecuting his
task he ever kept in view the difficulty, he might almost say impossi-
bility, of adding to the journals of so gifted a writer a word that
would enhance their originality or freshness.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

Memoir, ........... 1

Letters from H. D. Graham to Robert Gray, Secretary

of the Glasgow Natural History Society, . . 35

Extracts from Diaries, including a "Walk through Gli:n-

more in Mull," . . . . . . .187

Notes from Minute-Books of the Natural History Society

of Glasgow, ......... 201

The Birds of Iona and Mull, 207

Appendix, .......... 273

Index, 277

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Illustrated title-page,

Birds of Iona,

Doran medal,

Heather bed,

Doran,

My room,

The Manse, Iona,

Spouting Cave, Iona,

Winter travelling in Mull,

Catching the Water-rail, .

Crossing the ferry, .

Carnbulg Island,

Gathering carrigean at Soay,

Returning from Staffa,

Iona Cathedral,

Shooting Kestrels in the Cathedral,

Going after Long-tailed ducks, .

Raven's nest, ....

Second night at Staffa,

Crofter at work,

PAfiB

iii

viii

x

xii

xvi

o
O

26
34
37
37
43
46
46
48
51
53
54
56
58
59

XIV

LIST OF ILLl'STUATIONS.

The wounded Lairig,

Punting with Doran,

Scudding home,

Flight of the Long-tailed ducks

Doran chasing wounded duck,

Punt and Doran,

The old Hoody Crow,

Great Pigeon Cave, .

Shooting pigeons at my cave,

Climbing after a shot pigeon,

Pigeon egg-hunting,

The ' Scarbh,' .

Squall — ' Let fly everything ! '

Dutchman's Cap,

Shooting puffins,

Birds breakfasting

Marsh, .

Heron on stone,

Cormorant-shooting in punt,

Hauling up punt,

Beul Mor, the Great Gorge,

Dash and Doran,

Colin's first shot,

Shelter from a squall,

Fishing cuddies,

Heads, feet, and feathers,

White cormorant,

62, 63

64

68

69

73

75

76

78

80

82

83

87

90

93

94, 95

96

97

101

103

108

111

112

113

116

122

128

130

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Perforated shell,

Blowing up an old blunderbuss,

Shooting Scarts at Staffa,

Waiting for Scart to dive,

Scart-shooting,

The hubble-bubble occasioned by a wounded Scaii;

The Cormorant,

Ardrishaig,

Looking after curlews,

Stalking curlews,

The punt and curlews,

Returning from Bunesan,

Bernacle geese,

Bernacle geese ; last shot of the old yeai',

Loch Potii, Mull,

Greylag geese,

Bed-legged Crow,

Picking up the wounded,

Moored off Garveloch,

Glenmore,

Tramp through Glenmore,

Bain from the hills,

Hunting scarts,

Colony of puffins at Lunga Island,

Gull-chick, ....

Map of Iona, ....

Doran's grave.

xv

PAGE

. 131

. 133

. 135

. 137

140, 141

. 14-2

. 144

. 145

. 147

. 150

. 153

. 155

. 163

168, 169

• 173

. 176

. 186

. 189

. 191

. 195

. 199

. 200

. 201

. 206
272

. 274

. 280

gpwQ,

MEMOIR.

" Every one knows with what interest it is natural to retrace the
course of our own lives. The past state of a man's being is retained in
a connection with the present by that principle of self-love which is
unwilling to relinquish its hold on what has once been his.

" Though he cannot but be sensible of how little consequence his

life can have been in the creation, compared with many other trains of

events, yet to himself he has felt it more important than all other

trains together."

Foster (First Essay).

September 1850.

The storm is roaring in blasts down the chimney, the doors
creak, the windows rattle, and the rain in impetuous gusts is
driven against the panes. A winter storm is raging among the
Hebrides, and howls and dashes round the island of Iona.

Things being thus uninviting out of doors, indoor occupation
must be looked for. My gun, well oiled, lies idle in the corner,
with the ' Scarbh's ' flag dangling from its nail above it. Doran
has been out several times to survey the state of the weather,
and has at last returned resignedly to dry his shaggy hide at the
blazing peats, and I compose myself to start a new diary. But
this diary, before commencing it from the present date, I intend
prefacing with a few notes of the principal events as far back as
I can remember that have occurred to me during my life.

Foster's first essay is on " A man's writing a memoir of
himself," which is recommended by that clever writer as a useful

4 MEMOIR.

and interesting practice, and the sentences on the preceding page are
copied from him as the best introduction and apology to my diary.

Born August 13, 1825. Baptised in the following September.

My father was residing at this time in Upper Gower Street,
and was in business at Lincoln's Inn.

Before I began to recollect anything, we left London, my
father retiring from active business ; and in the year 1830 he
went abroad with his whole family. My earliest recollections
are of the yellow travelling carriage in which we performed the
tour — my mother and myself, Charles and his nurse in the
inside, my father and Eeginald on the box, and Emma (now
Mrs P.) on the dickey behind. The well-loaded carriage was
dragged along by four horses, mounted by a pair of French
postilions in jack-boots. A few miles in advance we were pre-
ceded by Victor, the courier, a big, good-natured Frenchman, in
moustache and a sort of uniform. Thus we traversed France,
crossed the Alps, and advanced into Italy till we reached Naples.
Mount Vesuvius was in a state of eruption, and I recollect
watching its flames at night ; but little else made any impression
upon my mind.

While staying in Rome (1831) we witnessed the election of
a new Pope. At night St Peter's was magnificently illuminated ;
the carnival next came on ; but at this time there were great
political disturbances, a revolution was apprehended, and the safety
of all foreigners, particularly that of the English, was endangered.
The hotels containing strangers were barricaded and fortified to
resist any attack made by the mob. At length we made our
escape, and left the Eternal City precipitately.

MEMOIR. 5

When passing through Florence we were seized with the
measles. An order had been issued forbidding any foreigners
remaining more than a single night in the city ; however, on my
father's representing his case to the authorities, we obtained leave
to rest three clays.

I recollect looking out at the carriage window at Mont
Blanc as we passed within sight of its glaciers. I also retain a
vivid recollection of Switzerland and the tedious zig-zag roads
across the Alps. We narrowly escaped destruction here. The
ropes which attached the carriage to a team of oxen broke, the
carriage rolled backwards down the declivity, ran to the side of
the road, which was bounded by a precipice, and came in contact
with a small tree growing by the roadside, which stopped its
career. My father and Eeginald had dismounted, and were
walking up the hill at the time, and Emma, to save herself,
jumped down from her elevated seat behind on to the road and
escaped injury.

An agreeable sojourn of some continuance we spent on the
banks of the Lake of Geneva, at Ouchy, near the town of
Lausanne, where we hired a house situated among vineyards and
chestnut-trees. We also resided for some time in Paris at a
hotel in the Place Vendome.

On returning home from the Continent we brought a Parisian
tutor, Mr B., who, though of English parentage, had been
brought up in Prance, and was indeed quite a model of a
Frenchman, volatile and thoughtless, with a truly Parisian
vanity and love of showing off. However, we became much
attached to him for his amiable manners, and because he was

B

6 MEMOIR.

our companion as well as tutor. We resided chiefly at Rose
Cottage, KB., and he used to lead us forth on long rambles upon
the South Downs, armed with leaping-poles, and in quest of
adventures, or under the chalk cliffs of Beachy Head, where he
led us up desperate attempts at escalading the crumbling heights ;
but his belief was that any hazard was trifling, provided one created
admiration, more especially in female spectators. We spent one
winter in the Crescent, Clapham, also some time in Brighton.
Mr B. left us after two years, and returned to France.

Mr B.'s successor in the dominie's chair was Mr T., a
native of Greenock, and a student for the Scotch Church. He
was a very great contrast to our last preceptor, for as Mr B.
was a thorough Frenchman, so, on the other hand, Mr T. was as
demure, as quiet, and retiring as a native of Scotland need be.
Besides being an excellent instructor, he was a man of steady
religious principles, which he was careful to instil into the minds
of his pupils.

During this time we resided half the year at Rose Lodge,
Clapham Common, within ball-shot of the Hall, where my father's
mother lived. Of course, we spent a great deal of our time there.
She was a very superior and clever woman, an excellent artist,
and exceedingly particular. Indeed, she was the authoress of
Teresa Tidy's Eighteen Maxims on Neatness and Order. As her
publisher observed of her, " Mrs G. was a lady who made
herself beloved and feared." The other half of the year we spent
at Rose Cottage. Eastbourne was then a lovely, retired spot.
On one side the beautiful undulating South Downs extended like
a huge sea wave. Upon them one may walk without ever feeling

MEMOIR. 7

fatigue, so elastic is the short green turf, so sweet the yellow-
blossoming furze, and so exhilarating the pure sea breeze. The
sea continually rolled upon the beach at the foot of the long
range of white chalk cliffs forming the stupendous heights of
Beachy Head, and which give Albion her name. About nine
miles west is Windmill, the property of my grandfather, Mr
C. , whom I but lightly remember ; but we children used
frequently to visit there while Mrs C. was still living. The
mansion-house is closely surrounded by wood, the lofty trees
being inhabited by a rookery and heronry. What deeply im-
pressed our childish minds was the mysterious quietness which
reigned through the apartments indoors, contrasted with the
noise of the rookery out of doors ; the damp, musty smell which
prevailed everywhere, in consequence of being so much shut in
by wood ; the excessively high feeding, which caused a visit to
Windmill always to terminate with a dose of salts ; and the
ten-shilling tip we received at our departure.

1834. — I have a regular diary for this and the two succeed-
ing years, a singular sort of production ; but we were early taught
to keep journals — an admirable habit !
October 4. — My sister Caroline born.

1835. — In September the entire family went to Edmond
Castle on a visit to our uncle. Mr T. left us, very much to
our regret. He went afterwards to Kelso, but after that we
never heard anything more of him.

1836. — This winter we spent in Paris, living in the Eue de
la Paix. We renewed our acquaintance with Mr B., whom
we found in Paris giving lessons in French and English. He

8 MEMOIR.

accordingly came daily to teach Charles and me French. This
was a very happy, agreeable winter, and, besides the enjoyment,
we received the benefit of the instructions of a whole mob of
French masters. Mons. F. taught elocution ; Moiis. S. dancing,
Moris. N. drawing, Mons. R. music, Mr B. French ; and lastly,
we went to the barracks of the pompiers (firemen) to be
exercised by a sergeant in gymnastics. Eeturned home to
England in May. This time we also brought a tutor with us,
Mr K., a German ; but though he got us on very well with
German and French, yet his temper was so disagreeable that
we had to part with him in the autumn. He was a native of
Saxony, banished from thence for writing against the Government.
This winter, instead of living at Rose Cottage, which was getting
too small for us, we went into Susan's.

1837. — Having now no tutor in the house, Reginald went
to the Rev. Mr T.'s, who lived on the other side of Clapham
Common, with about a dozen pupils. Charles and I received
daily lessons from Mr R. (nicknamed M'Diarmid), who taught us
writing, English, geography, and the globes, chemistry, geometry.
&c, &c.

1838. — Charles and I now went to school at the Rev.
Mr G.'s, Clapham, where there were about twenty other boys
besides ourselves. Of course we disliked it exceedingly, it being
the first time of our leaving home. When the summer holi-
days came on, we went down to Susan's, Eastbourne. After
this, instead of returning to Mr G.'s, I was sent to Dr B.'s,
Coombe Wood, near Kingston-upon-Thames. It was a much
larger school, containing sixty boys, and it was conducted on the

MEMOIR. JJ

Festalozzi system. There were seven under- masters, and each class
never remained more than an hour at the same task. At this
time I had a strong inclination to go to sea, which originated from
perusing Captain Basil Hall's Fragments, from dislike to school,
and from a kind of taste for enterprise. An extraordinary freak
entered into my head to perform. One fine afternoon I jumped
over the playground palings and set off, without knowing whither
or wherefore. After walking till midnight in the direction of
Dorking, I crept into the window of a barn, and slept on a
ladder. At sunrise I resumed my journey, breakfasted for a
shilling at a roadside inn (the sign of Tangiers), and walked in
the direction of London, taking a considerable circuit to avoid
the neighbourhood of Kingston. It was a lovely day ; the sun
shone bright, and I enjoyed it as an escaped convict or a truant
schoolboy can alone do. However, after walking till four in the
afternoon, I arrived at Westminster Bridge, hungry, weary, and
quite unresolved what next to do. While I was sitting in one
of the alcoves on Westminster Bridge (where I thought that, if
it came to the worst, I might pass the night), an old man with
a bundle turned in and seated himself on the stone bench. He
had the appearance of great poverty, though his dress, patched
and threadbare as it was, showed attempts at neatness and
shabby gentility ; but there was something exceedingly mild
and benevolent in his thin, starved physiognomy, so that after a
few commonplace remarks I told him that I was a boy just come
up from the country in search of a place, and asked him if he could
recommend me where to go. Now, this poor old man was a real
good Samaritan, as I will presently show, and it reminds me of

1 0 MJEMOIK.

the passage, " Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby
some have entertained angels unawares ; " for while this old
man thought he was sheltering a poor, friendless boy, who could
never make him any return, yet by it he eventually made friends
who saved him from starvation, and enabled him to end his days
in comfort. We jogged on together till he brought me to the
Cheshire Cheese, a small public in St Clement Danes, where he
had a garret, and, like the Irish bard who burnt his harp to cook
his guest's supper, so my poor host pawned some of the last
articles of his furniture (including his poker, which fetched a
halfpenny) to procure a supper. Next day was Sunday, and
being very tired, I remained at home with my friend, old S.
He was a singular old man ; he had seen better days, and had
manners worthy of a gentleman, but now, alas ! he was struggling
to support existence as a journeyman tailor. He was very
loquacious, and, being an astrologer, he cast my horoscope and
told me my fortune. He was a bit of an antiquary also, and
said that this narrow lane, St Clement Danes, was so called from
the Danes, when they invaded England, landed from the Thames,
and entered London through this street. On Monday my adven-
tures were brought to an abrupt termination, for, proceeding to
Tower Hill and inquiring at the Naval Rendezvous, with a
swagger, for a billet on board a man-of-war, the landlord, who
had been put on the look-out by my friends, immediately pinned
me, and carried me back in triumph in his gig to Coombe
Wood. As I afterwards learned, old S. was very unhappy at my
not returning. Some days after my father saw him. He had
not even ventured to examine a small bundle which I had tied

MEMOIR. 1 1

up in a handkerchief, which, by-the-bye, contained a bible, a map
of England, a telescope, and a pocket compass ! Worthy old
S. lived about five years after this, and proved himself a most
worthy object of charity. I remained at Coombe Wood till the
Christmas holidays, when I returned to Eose Lodge, and this
was the only year that I ever was at school.

1839, January 17. — I was appointed as volunteer first class
(now called Naval Cadets) to the ' Zebra,' a brig of 1 6 guns,
fitting out at Sheerness. A few days after I was swaggering
about in my uniform and dirk, and went down to join my ship.
Captain P. of the ' Howe ' enrolled me in the service, and taking
me by the arm and giving me a shake, said, " Ah, there's
some beef in this boy ! " This was meant as a compliment. I
was then examined by the schoolmaster to see if I was qualified
to enter. The questions were to write from dictation, " I have
joined H.M.S. ' Zebra,' " and this rule of three, " If one bushel
costs 10s., what will ten bushels ? "

In February we sailed for the Mediterranean. I was ap-
pointed mid of the fore-top and of the jolly-boat. The first time
I went aloft the captain hailed me to go through the " lubber's
hole ; " however, I succeeded in surmounting the difficulties of
getting over the futtock shrouds, and at the end of my watch,
when I went below, the captain's steward came with a pound of
gingerbread " for going aloft so well." While the ' Zebra ' was
fitting we were hulked on board the ' Shannon,' the remains of
the ship which was so celebrated in the American War under
Captain Broke. She was a very little frigate. Captain Broke
was one of the first to improve the practice of naval gunnery,

12 MEMOIR.

and it was this probably that enabled him to beat the
' Chesapeake.'

Broke must have been previously known as a brave man, for a
fo 'castle ditty made at the beginning of the war contained these lines,

" And as the war they did provoke,
We'll pay them with our cannon ;
And the first to do it shall be Broke,
In the gallant ship the ' Shannon.' "

After touching at Gibraltar, we proceeded for Malta, encoun-
tering a tremendous gale oft1 Cape Eon. We were scudding under
close-reefed maintopsail and foresail, and shipped a tremendous
sea. The brig, being an old-fashioned, deep-waisted vessel,
retained a great body of water within her bulwarks ; for a few
seconds she remained as if stunned by the blow, her lee gunwale
completely below water, and her yardarms touching the sea. It
was a very critical moment ; but gradually the water escaped, she
rose, and again began to labour among the waves. " All hands
shorten sail ! " We passed some ships under bare poles. At last
we reached Malta, and anchored in Valetta Harbour, and went
into Dockyard Creek. We found all the squadron here, with
Admiral S. in the 'Princess Charlotte,' 104. The other
ships composing the Mediterranean Squadron were the ' Asia,'
84 ; ' Bellerophon,' 78 ; ' Belleisle,' 72 ; ' Benbow,' 72 ; ' Ganges,'
84; 'Hastings,' 72; 'Implacable,' 74; ' Minden,' 72; 'Pem-
broke,' 72; 'Powerful,' 84; ' Carysfort,' 26; 'Castor,' 30;
'Daphne,' 18; 'Dido,' 18; 'Wasp,' 18; 'Hazard,' 18; ' Jaseur,'
16; 'Rodney,' 92; ' Talavera,' 72; 'Vanguard,' 80.

Steamers — ' Hydra,' ' Gorgon; ' Vesuvius,' ' Stromboli,' ' Ache-
ron,' ' Blazer,' &c.

MEMOIR. 13

My shipmates in the ' Zebra ' were particularly kind, gentle-
manly, and agreeable. M'K. was my particular friend ; he
was the beau-ideal of a naval officer, very handsome, exceedingly
lively, with a continual flow of the highest spirits, and a most
excellent seaman. He was a native of Ayrshire ; his father was
a colonel, his mother a French nun, whom the colonel rescued
from some Spanish town during the Peninsular War, and married
her. He inherited the good qualities of the Briton with the
vivacity of the Frenchwoman.

Cruising about all the summer and autumn, sometimes with
the fleet and sometimes alone, we visited Sicily, Catania, and
Palermo, the Greek islands, Paros, Smyrna, the Plains of Troy,
Alexandria, &c.

In November I exchanged into the ' Bellerophon,' liner, 78

guns. Changing from the little brig of 1 6 guns, the ' Bellerophon '

(or Billy rough 'im, as she was commonly called) of 78 guns was

a new world to me. Such a number of messmates, such superior

accommodation and comfort, and so little duty to do ! It is a

great advantage to begin with a small vessel, as one then becomes

accustomed at once to the roughs of the service, and a youngster

learns much more in less time. In the ' Zebra ' I was made a top

and boat midshipman at once ; in a big ship I should have had

nothing to do for the two first years. In the ' Zebra ' I was mate

of the watch and kept the log ; x in the ' Bellerophon ' I was about

the sixth or seventh officer in a watch, though we were in four

watches instead of three. The captain was an old easy -going man.

1 The log was a large black hoard four feet long, folding on hinges like a book,
ruled with white paint lines, and was marked with a lump of chalk. —Note by
C. W. Graham.

14 MHMOIli.

1840. — The ' Bellerophon ' had a fine smart ship's company,
but she was in a wretched state of discipline. On Christmas
Day, as we were lying at anchor with the rest of the squadron
at Vourla, the whole ship's company were drunk, and the noise
of the revelry was so great that the admiral, though lying half a
mile off and more, made a signal for the ' Bellerophon ' " to make
less noise" as it disturbed the whole fleet.

In May we were sent to Naples. Our Government had some
dispute with the king relating to the sulphur trade, and we ran
into the Bay of Naples, with our guns loaded and double-shotted,
threatening to bombard the town. This not taking effect, we
went out again, and blockaded the port. We had the assistance
of the ' Hydra ' steamer, and we captured a great number of Nea-
politan ships and sent them as prizes to Malta. One day, while
we were on this service, we spied a little brig, hull down, on the
horizon.. We immediately gave chase. As soon as the brig saw
that she was chased she altered course and made all sail to
escape. She sailed very well, and we observed that she was also
much better handled than the other Italian traders that we had
previously taken. It was a whole forenoon before we came within
range of her, and then we fired a shot across her bows. The only
effect it had was to make her run up her white Neapolitan ensign
as if in defiance. The chase still continued, and we repeatedly
fired at and over her, till at length, as we rapidly closed with
her, she reluctantly shortened sail and hove to. At this time
our ship was bowling along under an immense cloud of canvas,
and we swooped down upon the little brig like a gigantic eagle
upon a partridge. We were cracking on stu'nsails alow and

MEMOIR. 15

aloft. In a moment the hands were turned up. " Shorten
sail ! " " Every man at his station." " Trip up the lower stu'n-
sails ! " " Lower away ! " " Eig in your booms ! " And the vast
expanse of stu'nsails were rapidly folded in, the ship's speed
gradually decreased, till at length, with the maintopsail laid
aback, she remains stationary, though pitching and tossing over
the waves like an impatient courser curvetting and plunging
when he is reined in by his rider. In the meanwhile, though,
where's the brig ? We had shot nearly a mile beyond her, and
in the bustle of the moment no one had been watching her
motions. She had turned her head inshore, and was crowding
all sail to get within the range of the land batteries' guns.
However, we were not long in following her, and a good shot
from the bow-guns tore off one half of her maintop-gallant mast,
and she was again reduced to surrender herself. We were sur-
prised on Hearing her to see the crew all dressed in blue and
white in the man-of-war fashion, as well as their smartness aloft,
and we soon discovered that the brig had already been taken by
the ' Hydra,' and the mid who had been put in charge of her had
been leading us this long wild-goose chase for his own private
amusement. Our captain, of course, was very angry, but he let
him go with a slight reprimand. I believe he got off so well
from the captain's admiration of his adroitness.

At last the sulphur question was settled, and we went into
Naples Bay, where we remained at anchor for about a month.
Our ship was continually crowded with visitors, and regattas,
balls, and parties, on board and ashore, succeeded one another in
rapid succession.

16 MEMOIR.

Visited Pompeii, Herculaneum, and went to the bottom of
the crater of Mount Vesuvius. We also took the ship round
to Bahia Bay, a very pretty place, with a great number of
temples. Thence we went to Malta, passing through the Straits
of Messina. Becalmed for a night off Mount Stromboli,
which was naming and bellowing loudly. Visited Rhodes and
Alexandria, where I saw old Mehemet Ali, a white-haired old
patriarch, mounted on a mule, riding through the streets of his
capital with little ceremony.

In September the British fleet commenced active operations
in aid of the Sultan against his rebellious vassal Mehemet Ali.
That very clever man, having raised the character and efficiency
of the Egyptian troops by introducing European discipline and
the assistance of European officers, was much more than a match
for the Turkish army. The Egyptians, under the command of
Ibrahim Pacha (son of Mehemet Ali), a very brave soldier, had
driven the Turks completely out of Palestine, and no doubt that
if it had not been for foreign interference they would have forced
their way to the walls of Constantinople, and there have enforced
the demands of Mehemet Ali.

The greater part of the Turkish fleet had deserted and gone
to Alexandria to join the pacha. Our naval instructor met some
of the native officers on board this fleet who had been at Ports-
mouth under his instruction. The remainder of the Turkish
fleet was under the command of Admiral Walker, a captain in
the British navy. The Egyptian ships, though well manned and
equipped, never ventured out of the port of Alexandria.

Operations commenced at the ancient town of Beyrouf.

MEMOIR. 17

Upon the 11th of September the fleet anchored there, consisting
of several line-of-battle ships, besides smaller vessels and two
Austrian corvettes. At about 1 P.M. they opened fire upon the
town. Broadsides were poured without ceasing into its walls
until long after dark. A small vessel was coming into the
harbour at the time, and her officers described the scene as being
very grand. The silvery light of the moon, sleeping upon the
white minarets and mosques of the devoted town, contrasted with
the red lurid flashes of fire issuing from the black hulls ; above hung
a dark, black pall of sulphurous smoke, which was occasionally
cleft by the meteor-like rockets thrown up by the Austrians.
The town made little or no return to our fire. The troops
retired for safety into cellars and bomb-proof buildings. In the
morning we found the town in ruins, though the houses escaped
being utterly destroyed owing to the softness of the stone, which
allowed the shot free passage without being shattered.

As the town did not yet surrender, and it not being thought
safe to land in consequence of the great force of the enemy within
the town (and from our mastheads we could see a large camp
behind the town), so firing was still continued at intervals when-
ever any movement was seen. There appeared to be a storehouse
of some kind which they were very anxious to reach to carry off
its contents ; to reach it, however, the soldiers had to walk a
short distance exposed to our shot, which always stopped any
attempt of the kind. At night they had no better fortune, for
the moment a light was observed moving in that direction a
volley of shot extinguished it. An old Turk, who had apparently
charge of this depot, certainly deserved credit for his perseverance

1 8 MEMOIR.

at his post. The ships having nothing particular to fire at, the
guns' crews of the various ships vied with one another in hitting
some particular mark to prove their skill in aiming. This door
happened to attract notice, and so many shots were directed
against it. At last one pierced it, bursting it open at the same
time. Upon this the old custodian came, and after looking out
as if to see who had knocked, he shut the door and retired.
This happened several times, till at last a shot came and knocked
the door all to atoms, upon which the porter for the last time
presented himself, and finding that his occupation was gone,
calmly walked away from the spot. A flagstaff displaying the
Egyptian banner was the next mark, and it was soon bowled
over, upon which they set up another flag in the interior of the
town in such a difficult position that, though every ship felt her
honour concerned in knocking it down, yet none could succeed,
till the evening put an end to the contest.

At night a wild notion entered the heads of some of the
' Bellerophon's ' midshipmen to go on shore in the dark and get
the flag. Of course they would be obliged to leave the ship
secretly, without the knowledge of the superior officers. Accord-
ingly, without more ado, H. and D'A. swam ashore half naked,
each with a sword hung round his neck. They landed on the
rocks and crept over a breach made by our guns in the wall
of the city, and, finding no one stirring, they cautiously made
their way over the ruins until they arrived at the flagstaff, where
to their great disappointment they found that the ensign was not
flying, and so they had nothing to do but to return without it.
Looking down into some courts below, they saw a great number

MEMOIR. 19

of soldiers sleeping in the bright moonlight. However, they got
safe back to the shore without being seen, and so, plunging into
the sea, got back to the ship, where they were hauled up quietly
by one or two men let into the secret, and who had ropes let
down for them from the head of the ship. What was their
surprise to find next morning that the disputed Hag was already
brought on board the ship ! A mate, John D., had been
appointed to row guard during the night in an armed boat, and
he induced his men to land him quietly under the walls of the
town, giving them orders to lay off a short distance from the
shore till his return. He in the meantime ascended the breach,
threaded his way through the town, reached the flagstaff and hauled
it down ; wrapping the flag round his waist, he descended to the
boat and got safe away with his prize. During the whole adven-
ture he carried a pistol on full cock in each hand, and if he had
met any man he intended to have fired at him and hurry back to
the boat ; so it was fortunate that he did not meet with his two
messmates who were engaged in the same mad adventure, or most
assuredly they would have killed one another. The Hag was, I
believe, privately sent to the admiral. However, it was a mere
bravado, for it did no good, though I dare say the enemy won-
dered at finding their ensign gone next morning. However, they
soon put up another.

Beyrout was not surrendered for some time after this ; but
at last a landing party was sent ashore which captured it after a
little hand-to-hand work. Two of our marines related that they
were pressing very hard upon the governor of the town, who
defended himself bravely, and with a stroke of his beautifully-

20 MEMOIR.

tempered Damascus scimitar had shorn off one man's bayonet as
if it had been but a carrot ; the other man transfixed him before
he could recover himself to give another blow.

Operations were carried on very briskly in the meantime.
The ships were all distributed up and down the coast bombarding
the towns, taking forts, and driving the enemy out of every
position that they held near the coast. A camp was formed at
a place a little north of Beyrout called Djourna Bay, or St
George's Bay (being the spot where St George is said to have
killed the dragon). This little army consisted of a large body of
marines, field-pieces manned by parties of bluejackets, and several
regiments of Turks. For some time we were stationed off the
Dog River to defend the bridge in case the enemy should attempt
to surprise the camp, and we were at the same time distributing
a vast number of muskets among the friendly mountaineers, the
tribes that inhabited the mountains of Lebanon. The Emir
Beshir, the prince of one of these clans, paid us a visit, and
while he was being entertained in the captain's cabin, one of his
officers amused us in the gun-room by displaying his skill in the
use of their admirably-tempered Damascene blades. Drawing
two chairs within a few feet of each other, he placed a teacup
at the extreme edge of each ; he then rested the end of a
tolerably thick broomstick across the nearer edge of each cup,
then flourishing his sabre over his head for a moment, it descended
like lightning, cutting the stick clean in two without in the least
displacing the two cups, much less knocking them off the chairs.
The scabbards of these scimitars are split or open down the back
for half their length, otherwise it could not be drawn in and out

MEMOIR. 21

for it is as crooked as the letter C. The blades are beautifully
watered, the edge is extremely sharp, and cuts clean through flesh
and bone ; but the fine temper of the blade makes it brittle, and
its shape quite unfits it for thrusting.

A great number of small actions came off in various parts of
the coast of Palestine between single ships and the smaller
towns. We lost one man, who was shot in a boat expedition.
My old ship, the ' Zebra,' distinguished herself at the taking of
Scanderoon and other places. Her boats were at Alexandretta,
landing under a very sharp fire of musketry for some time. The
cutters did not lose a single man, yet they had curious escapes.
One man had a ball through his hat, another had a ball through
his handkerchief, another through the leg of his trousers ; a sergeant
of marines had the tip of his musket struck, so that he could not
load it again ; and, lastly, a marine was struck full in the middle
of the chest, fortunately upon the little brass plate which is
placed upon his cross-belts at their intersection. He preserved
the ball, which was slightly flattened, and was impressed with
some of the letters from the motto, " Per terra, per mare" which
is inscribed in raised letters upon the brass plate.

After the taking of Scanderoon one of the merchants asked
the captain to dinner at the remains of his house. The table
was spread with sixteen dishes, which at a given signal were
uncovered, and displayed sixteen great, round, hard, black thirty-
two pound shots ! " There, Captain Elliot," said the hostess, —
" there are the presents you were so kind as to send ashore to
us ; these were all picked up in my drawing-room and parlour."
However, after she had had her joke, something more digestible

c

22 MEMOIR.

made its appearance. I could mention many curious adventures
that occurred during this campaign in the months of September
and October, but I will go on at once to the last great blow
which decided the whole affair. This was the capture of St Jean
d'Acre. This town is situated on a small promontory, so that it
has three sea fronts and only one side towards the land. The forti-
fications rise immediately from the sea and are extremely formid-
able ; indeed, both by land and sea it was reckoned impregnable.
Acre was taken by the Crusaders, and there is a hill very near
to the town which still bears the name of Eichard Coeur de
Lion. The ancient name of St Jean d'Acre was Ptolemais ; by
the Turks it is called Accho. It was successfully defended by
Captain Sir Sidney Smith against Napoleon, who, at the head of
a victorious army, was checked and beaten by a handful of
British seamen and undisciplined Turks, the sole garrison of
this mighty fortress. But now it was doomed to fall by the
hands of British sailors and Turkish allies.

All the smaller towns having been subdued, the fleet was
assembled at Beyrout preparatory to the grand attack meditated
on Acre. The squadron was augmented by the presence of two
Austrian frigates and a large Turkish line-of-battle ship called
the ' Mahoumadier.' She was commanded by Captain W., a
pacha in the Sultan's service. The ' Hydra ' steamer had been
previously sent to sound the depth of water in the neighbourhood
of the town, and she laid down some buoys, though a long way
out from the town, as she was directed to keep out of shot. The
enemy saluted her with a couple of shot ; one ranged over her
and the other struck her hull, though without hurting her. She

MEMOIR. 23

returned one shot from her immense 6 8 -pounder (which entered
the very embrasure that had fired) and paddled off. The
' Hydra's ' visit was of very great service to us, as it proved, for
the enemy, taking it for granted that she had been marking out
the intended position of the ships, levelled their guns accurately
for that distance, and then closed up their embrasures by piling-
sandbags under the breasts of their guns. When the day came
it was so fine that the fleet went much nearer in towards the
shore. The enemy began firing away without observing this ;
the consequence was that the most of their shot went over, cut-
ting up the rigging a great deal but seldom striking the hulls ;
and in consequence of the thick smoke which enveloped every-
thing, they never discovered their error till near the end of the
action, when they made their shots tell much better ; but it was
too late then to do us much injury.

On 3rd November, at one o'clock, the ships went into action,
anchoring in a semicircle embracing the whole sea front of the
town. They immediately began pouring in their broadsides, the
Austrians threw in rockets, and the steamers their heavy shells.
The enemy returned the fire with very great spirit.

Thus far we have given the earlier incidents of our author's
life in his own words. Between then and the time of his leaving
the service, a hiatus is filled in by members of his own family,
and the memoirs which follow are also contributed by them and
by Mr Colin M'Vean.1

On 2nd December of this year (1840), a violent storm occurred

1 Reginald Graham and Mrs Graham— Mr H. D. Graham's brother and
mother— and Mr Colin M'Vean, Mr Graham's almost daily companion when in
Iona. — Ed.

24 MEMOIR.

in the Mediterranean, and the ships on the Syrian coast were in
imminent peril. The ' Pique ' frigate dragged her anchor, and
narrowly escaped going ashore. The ' Zebra,' less fortunate, did
go ashore, and became a wreck, but the crew were providentially
saved. This happened in the Bay of Acre, just under Mount
Carmel. On the mountain looking over the sea there is a
convent. The good monks prayed for the sailors during the
terrible storm, and showed the greatest kindness and hospit-
ality to the shipwrecked crew. For three months the crew of
the ' Zebra ' remained, living in tents at Caiffa, till they were
taken off by the ' Castor.' During this time cases of plague mani-
fested themselves among the seamen of the ' Zebra ' ; thirteen
were attacked and nine died. They underwent great hardships,
but from these young Graham never suffered harm, being blessed
with a strong constitution.

After this the next station to which he was appointed was
the North American. He served the usual time on this station,
then came home and passed for lieutenant, but soon after left
the service.

Mr Graham showed early a remarkable talent for drawing.
Even as a boy his habit was to draw everything he wished to
remember. During his voyages and life on board ship he
collected in this way a great number of sketches of places and
of incidents. These he arranged later in books, so making an
illustrated journal of his travels and life at sea. His lively
interest in all he saw and in the people he met, combined with
his excellent memory and power of description, made him a most
agreeable companion.

MEMOIR. 25

In the year 1848 young Graham went on a visit to the Eev.
D. M'Vean, the Free Church minister of the island of Iona.
This visit extended far beyond what was originally intended,
and he remained for some years at this wild residence. He did
not pass the time in idleness. He devoted himself to boating
and wild-fowl shooting, and to a study of the antiquities of the
ancient church of St Columba, the crumbling remains of whose
monuments he rescued from oblivion in a work published by
him in 1850, containing faithful and carefully-drawn plates.1
This work was dedicated to the Duke of Argyll, and was very
well received by antiquarians and by the public in general.

He also devoted much attention to natural history, especially
to the ornithology of the western islands of Scotland. This led
to his corresponding with some naturalists, such as Sir William
Jardine and Mr Wood of Yorkshire, and to his being made a
Corresponding Member of the Natural History Society of Glasgow,
for which society he wrote the letters now published after so
many years.

Mr Graham's own words, quoted from his diaries of these
years, best describe his Iona life : —

"Came to Iona on the 24th January 1848, after two days'
journey across Mull in a severe snowstorm. Arrived at the
Free Manse at night. For the first few days employed in sur-
veying the ruins and exploring the island. I almost immediately
began to take drawings of the tombstones to exhibit to friends
at home ; but I had not the least idea when commencing these
that they would ever have been engraved and brought before the
1 Antiquities of Iona. Day & Son, London. 1850.

26

MEMOIR.

public, The first I did were the three M'Lean's effigies and
M'Kinnon's cross in Eeileag Orain. I worked so hard at these
drawings that by the middle of July I had them all completed,
with the exception of a few which I added after having sent my
book to England."

Eegarding these first results of our author's work in Iona,
his old friend and daily companion there, Mr Colin M'Vean, who
has furnished the Editor with a short notice of the life in Iona,
says : —

" Among the first works undertaken by him in Iona was a
series of drawings of the ruins of the cathedral, nunnery, and
chapels, and the many interesting and beautifully-sculptured
tombstones of chiefs, warriors, prelates, and others, renowned in
their day, whose ashes now mingle with the dust of the sacred

MEMOIR. 2 7

isle. These drawings, which are very accurate, were the first
ever published really worthy of the buildings and monuments
represented. The Antiquities of Iona, by H. D. Graham, is a
most valuable and notable work, now out of print, and to be had
only at a premium. It is specially valuable, as, since the
drawings were made, time and the tramp of many tourists' feet
have done much to obliterate inscriptions and the more delicate
tracery on the ancient tombs. It should be mentioned, however,
that the Duke of Argyll has done much of late to protect these
interesting ruins and monuments from the dangers indicated."

Mr Graham continues his MS. : —

"In July 1848 I got the ' Scarbh ' built at the neigh-
bouring village of Kintra, and this little boat was a never-failing
source of amusement during the whole time I was at Iona. She
was only nine feet in the keel, but drew a great deal of water,
carried a great deal of sail, and stood a heavy sea ; in short, a
very powerful boat for her size."

We are indebted to Mr C. M'Vean for a few further parti-
culars of the ' Scarbh ' and dinghy, so prominent in Mr Graham's
" Heart-pictures," as follows : —

" In addition to the ' Scarbh ' already mentioned, he had a
smaller boat, made by cutting an old skiff in two, and converting
the bow end into a punt. In this he would paddle round the
shores alone, enjoying his favourite pastime of watching the
birds, the ' Scarbh ' being employed in longer expeditions, such
as to Staffa, Soay, Gribun, &c. At times, in the opinion of
the islanders, he was too adventurous and rash, and though
on more than one occasion his friends were in considerable

28 MEMOIR.

anxiety on his account, he always turned up safe and sound
in the end. He several times passed the night alone on one
of the small islands, sometimes storm-stayed, at other times
engaged in watching some rare bird. A favourite excursion
used to be to the island of Soay, about two and a half miles
south-west of Iona. The stretch of sea and coast-line, and the
numerous inlets between Port Ronan in lona and that island,
are at all seasons rich in bird-life. During the winter months
they are the favourite haunts of wild geese of various kinds,
chiefly the greylag and bernacle ; seals and otters, too, make
them their home."

Mr Graham here continues his MS. : —

"Having completed the drawings of the Antiquities, I amused
myself by making a collection of clan tartans, and painting
specimens of each variety for placing in a scrap-book ; besides,
I now commenced the study of ornithology, which I have ever
since pursued with great vigour. I went out daily in pursuit
of specimens to make drawings of, beginning with the black
guillemot, scart, curlew, gulls, and golden plovers, though when
I afterwards had made greater progress in the art of bird-
drawing, I destroyed most of these first efforts."

As Mr Colin M'Vean's MS. at this point is very descriptive
of the scenes our author dwelt amongst, we do not apologise
for introducing them in this place, as follows : —

" In spring and summer these islands are the breeding
places of gulls, terns, eider ducks, black guillemots, rock pigeons,
petrels, and many other species needless to mention now, as
they will all be found in the list attached. The Soay picnic

MEMOIR. 29

was always a delight to Graham and his friends, the pleasure
being enhanced perhaps by a spice of danger. The island is
surrounded by shoals and hidden dangers that at all times,
and very specially with certain winds and at certain states of
the tide, render the approach and landing matters to be gone
about with caution. Has the reader ever run the gauntlet
between a sunk rock on which the sea heavily breaks, and a
steep headland, every now and then reached by a heavier sea than
ordinary, rushing with foaming crest over the outlying rock ?
If so, he or she will understand and appreciate the excitement
often attending a landing on Soay. The landing effected, the
small island, though familiar to the usual members of the party,
seemed ever new and alive with fresh interest.

" As the writer was sailing with Graham one day, and
passing along the west coast of Iona, where the rocks are
highest, the latter stopped the boat and landed near the marble
quarry, asking his companion to look after the boat till his
return. He took the painter and anchor ashore with him, and
was soon lost to sight on the heights above. He had kept the
object of his landing a secret. Near this spot a cave runs
in from the shore ; it enters from the sea and forms a high
narrow fissure in the cliff, running inland for a considerable
distance, and naturally roofed in part. An opening occurs in
the level ground above, through which, on looking down the
white sandy bottom of the cave, can be seen at low water, or
when the tide is high, the sea washing still further inland,
where, at the extreme end, there is another funnel-shaped
opening to the upper world. Looking down the first opening,

30 MEMOIR.

some 40 or 50 feet sheer down, a natural arch is seen spanning
the cave, and on this arch a rock pigeon's nest in the proper
season. Graham had determined to get the eggs, which he
knew were now in the nest. Fixing the anchor securely in
the ground above, he let the rope hang down into the cave.
The rope, he found, would just reach the arch ; so, letting
himself over, he proceeded to descend. But his hands being
wet, he found he could not hold on properly, and, to his
horror, felt himself slipping faster and faster, till with a rush
he passed the ledge, dropped off the rope, and landed on his
back on the sand below, some 60 or 70 feet from the top.
Of course, having the rope to hold on to for so much of the
distance broke his fall, and he escaped with a considerable
shaking and a sore head. After recovering somewhat from
the effects of the fall, he managed to scramble again to the
upper ground through the opening further inland, which, unlike
the other, was not quite sheer down. The anchor was still
in position, so a happy thought struck him. He filled his hands
with sand, and, despite his previous experience, again ventured
down. This time, thanks to the sand giving him a better grip,
he succeeded, and brought the eggs down to the boat in triumph.
This is but a sample of his almost daily adventures. I may
mention that a few days after this exploit a red-legged crow's
nest of eggs was taken from a neighbouring cave under some-
what similar circumstances, bar the fall." x

These few incidents will perhaps be sufficient to give some
slight idea of Henry Graham's ordinary daily life while resid-

1 The incident above referred to is illustrated under Letter VIII.— Ed.

MEMOIR. 31

ing in Iona. It should be mentioned, however, that besides
the Antiquities and the bird collection, Graham made drawings
of the fish and mammalia found around and in the island.
He also took a great interest in the ancient history of Iona,
and the traditions attached to it, which he collected along with
tales of the second sight, &c. Indeed, there was little that
escaped his notice or that he did not investigate.

He was a man of rare gifts, and his memory is still green
in the island he loved. All who were privileged to enjoy his
friendship were devoted to him.

On leaving Iona he writes : —

" With great regret I leave my dear friends the M'Veans.
They will miss me very much, and I shall equally miss their
society and companionship. I cannot leave the well-known
rocks, and bays, and glens of Iona, my boats and the wild birds,
without feelings of tenderness and sorrow."

Eetrospect of time spent in Iona in 1854 : —

" My time in Iona was chiefly spent in reading, writing, and
drawing, shooting and boating.

" As to drawing, besides the Antiquities of Iona, I drew the
birds of Iona, by which I gained facility in drawing objects of
natural history, and kept a memorial of my feathered friends.
Besides these, I did no set pieces, but I formed a collection of
' Heart-pictures,' small scraps illustrative of our usual occupa-
tions, as pictorial records of this period of my life."

It may be worth while in this place to record in the words
of his friend, Mr Colin M'Vean, a further account of our author's
literary labours. Mr M'Vean says : — " It was not, however, till

32 MEMOIR.

the Antiquities of Zona was fairly in the hands of the subscribers
that Graham's full attention was given to the birds. At first,
though a clever artist, his bird-pictures lacked the life and action
latterly attained, and as he himself tells us, the first attempts
would not in a very short time bear comparison with the later
productions ; so, as occasion offered and a good specimen was
found, the old picture was destroyed and replaced by a more
perfect representation. The peculiar charm of Graham's bird-
pictures lies in their being so true to nature ; he spent not hours
but days and weeks before making a drawing of any bird, in
closely watching its habits and attitudes, studying its different
notes and calls, and trying to find out, if possible, what each
meant in bird-language. He noted these calls as well as the
attitudes and habits of the bird, and it is this intimate acquaint-
ance with the living bird in its daily life and natural habitat
which gives that interest to Graham's pictures and notes which
few ordinary illustrations or descriptions are capable of inspiring.
To the writer, his companion in many a delightful bird-hunting
expedition, the memory of these days is as fresh as of yesterday,
and the enthusiasm of Graham kindled in himself a love of the
stud)' of bird-life that has served to give special interest to many
a, lonely hour when far from home and friends."

Graham had a wonderful gift — what our American cousins
would call a magnetic power — of interesting those about him in
his own pursuits and studies ; and, as people from far and near
sent him specimens of anything shot that seemed in any way
out of the common, he in this way procured many interesting
specimens.

MEMOIR. 33

Mr Graham continues : —

" I had never shot to any extent till I came here, but carry-
ing the gun was the constant, never-failing resource of all my
out-of-door hours, all the years of my stay in Iona. Every rock
and every turning among its rugged cliffs and wave-worn caverns
were familiar to me, and had been the scene of some shooting
adventure either by sea or land. No wonder that I should have
such an affection for Iona, where every stone has a story in it
for me."

The family memoir here again takes up the thread of
life.

This year (1854) Mr Graham left Iona and married in
England. He then went out to Canada with his wife, where
they spent two years. During this time he made a number of
drawings of the birds and flowers of Canada, which, according to
his habit, he arranged with notes into scrap-books. He also made
a collection of Canadian sketches illustrative of life both in
Toronto and in the country of Upper Canada.

After this he returned to Scotland, all his associations and
inclinations leading him to settle there. He lived on the coast
of Argyllshire for some years, and although no longer able to
devote himself to a sportsman's life, he delighted in sailing his
own small boat about Loch Fyne. He continued his interest in
archaeology and natural history, and made a number of drawings
and sketches of the neighbourhood.1

In 1866 Mr Graham went to live in the south of England

1 Placed at the disposal of the Editor for use, but not taken advantage <>f, as
but few of them relate to Iona. — Ed.

34

MEMOIR.

for the sake of education for his growing-up family, and to be
nearer to his father and mother.

To the end of his life (1872) he kept up his interest in his
old pursuits, though now only with pen and pencil ; correspond-
ing with his naturalist friends, and constantly adding to his
collections of drawings.

LETTERS

From H. DAVENPORT GRAHAM
To ROBERT GRAY,

Secretary of the Glasgow Natural History Society, dc.

«6n&r

I.

G^^tfiemi,

Iona, 20th January 1852.

On the 9th of this month, besides a most terrific gale of wind, we
also had a very heavy fall of snow. I ventured out for a short
time, in hopes of meeting some " straggler." Numerous flocks of
Snow Buntings (Plectrophanes nivalis) were cowering among the
stubbles, the males in beautiful white plumage : this bunting
is only a rare visitor to our island. As I
was returning home, my dog chased what
I thought was a large rat, for some
little distance over the snow ; he
brought it to me unhurt, and it
proved to be a Water-rail (liallus
, aquaticus), the first I have seen here. It
has lived ever since in a box, feeding on chopped meat, which it
will take freely from the hand ; indeed, it is so tame that it
has already become an item in the family group, and when
released from its box, it stalks about the hearth-rug without
making the least effort to escape.

D

38 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

The Manx Shearwater (JPujfftnus anglorum) is common to
these islands, and appears in summer. At that time we frequently
see them skimming rapidly over the crests of the waves with a
rapid, swallow-like flight. They are rarely seen to alight, and
are so swift and restless, and only to be met with on the open sea,
that it is not easy to procure many specimens. On the 12 th of
May last year, however, a very calm day, as I was going to Staffa
with a party in a boat, we approached a number of very large
flocks of Shearwaters swimming upon the water.1 They were very
tame, and I procured a considerable number. At their first
appearance I mistook them for the Common Guillemots which at
that time of the year " stud the seas." By their arriving here in
such large flocks at the time of migration, and their being seen
here during the whole summer, it is natural to suppose that they
breed in the neighbourhood, and in fact I got an egg at Staffa
which, I have no doubt, is one of theirs. It was in a hole in a
grassy bank upon the summit of one of the basaltic cliffs over-
hanging the sea. It was past the breeding-time, and a few
fragments of shells of eggs that had been hatched were strewed
upon the ground and attracted our attention, and we discovered
one egg (an addled one) by itself in a hole. It was about the
size of a Pigeon's egg, white, and a perfect oval, being equally blunt
at both ends. The shell had the dead, unpolished appearance
which characterises the egg of the Puffin, Stormy Petrel, and

i Manx Shearwaters frequently alight upon the water in the vicinity of their
principal breeding haunts and favourite fishing grounds. At times hundreds —
and we believe we have witnessed thousands — may be seen to congregate upon
the surface of a calm sea. We have never, however, witnessed such gatherings
in the vicinity of Iona, but repeatedly in the narrow seas around their principal
breeding stations. — Ed.

LETTER I. 39

Cormorant. I searched this bank again last season, but in all
my egg-hunting tours I never met with another. There were
Puffins breeding in the neighbourhood, but their egg is as large
as a Common Hen's egg, and of a rounder shape. I have no
doubt the Shearwater breeds at St Kilda, and probably at many
of the other Hebrides.

I fell in with two specimens of the Bridled Guillemot {TJria
lachrymans) last year, both early in the spring, when the Common
Guillemots were beginning to arrive. I shall keep a sharp look-
out for them at the same season this year. I met a gentleman last
summer who had visited Barra, and he said that he found this
bird breeding there, and the natives were well acquainted with it.
The Golden Eyes {Clangula vulgaris) are plentiful in winter,
especially in a fresh-water loch, at a small distance off, in Mull.

The Eider Duck (Somateria mollissima) is very frequently seen,
though generally females and immature birds ; at the neighbouring
island of Colonsay they breed in great numbers. They abound
there to such an extent that the bird is known by no other name
upon these coasts but the Colonsay Duck. The Shieldrake
( Tadorna vulpanser) is equally abundant ; and in a visit that I
paid to that island, during May of last year, I got as many
specimens as I wished.

The Black Guillemot (Uria grylle) is the commonest bird we
have, next to the Gulls ; it is an interesting little bird, from the
various states of its plumage. It breeds in great numbers upon
the isles ; and we have reared its young, though they always fly
away when full grown ; yet they and young Puffins become very
familiar,

40 THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL.

I am afraid I can add nothing to your knowledge of Plovers ;
they are not abundant. A few Peewits ( Vanettus cristatus) breed
on the island. The Golden Plover only visits the shores in
frosty weather, but they are very abundant on the moors in Mull,
and still more so at the island of Tiree. The Kinged Plover
(Charadrius hiaticula) is common. There are some patches of
gravelly beach which are always frequented by considerable flocks,
especially at ebb-tide ; or at high- water they will be found in
some particular spots among the low sand-hills in the immediate
neighbourhood, but they never seem to stray far from these
favourite grounds and roosting-places. Upon the approach of an
intruder, they commence their wild, plaintive whistle, at the same
time running away before him ; sometimes one will conceal him-
self behind a bunch of cast seaweed or a stone, till the near
approach of danger sets him running off to overtake his com-
panions. Thus they will go on. always hurrying across the
patches of white sand, and lingering upon the portions of gravel,
as they well know that on the former they are very conspicuous,
while on the latter they are almost invisible. Upon a too near or
rapid approach, or any sudden movement, especially levelling a
gun, up they all jump, fly out to sea, tack, fly close past their
disturber, tack again two or three times, which they all do
together with military precision, giving the flock the appearance
of changing its colour from white to black, and then from black
to white ; at last they pitch down upon the beach again, a little
farther on. The best shot is when they are alighting, as at all
other times they keep very much scattered. '

A few Kinged Dotterels remain to breed in the island, at

LETTER I. 41

which time their plumage becomes very beautiful, arid their bills
and legs an intense orange yellow. They apparently fly about a
good deal at night, as their whistle may be frequently heard in
the dark, and often inland and in places where they are never
seen in the daytime.

There is very little difference between the plumage of the
Rock Dove (Columba livia), male, female, and young. When first
off the nest, the young pigeon is of a darker shade of purple, with
very little lustre ; the adult male, when in full pride of feather,
is of a very pale, delicate tint of lavender, and his neck glistens
with the hue of the emerald and carbuncle. I suppose that of all
domestic animals none are so easily reclaimed as the Pigeon.
Though taken fully fledged from the nest, they immediately become
reconciled to the dovecot, and are as bold and familiar as the
other Pigeons, which have been born and bred for many genera-
tions back in slavery. How different is the Wild Duck !
Though the eggs, taken early from the heathery nest by the loch
side, are placed in the barn under the careful bosom of an old
clucking hen, yet the young brood, though thus ushered into
the world in the midst of civilisation, from the moment of their
extrusion from the egg till their dying day, always exhibit their
hereditary distrust of man, and retain much of their original
wildness ; always ready to use their wings in preference to their
legs ; upon any insult ready to bid a long adieu, and return to
their paternal wildnesses ; and it is not till the third or fourth
generation that they become fully civilised, domestic farm-yard
waddlers.

The !5kua is a very rare bird about our shores, and I am very

42 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

little acquainted with it. In an old edition of the Encyclopedia
Britannica it is mentioned by the name of " Parasiticus," as very
common and breeding at Islay and Jura ; but it seems now to
have nearly deserted those shores.

The Turnstone (Strepsilas interpres) is very numerous here ;
in winter large flocks feed upon the shores at ebb-tide ; and
during the flood they assemble upon the rocks. They are always
to be found upon the little unfrequented rocky islets, wandering
about the seaweed-covered rocks, almost within reach of the wash
of the surf. They seem to feed as much in this manner as upon
the gravelly beaches. During severe storms they sometimes
come a little way inland to the sandy fields. They are generally
tame and stand well together, and so give a good shot. Last
year I met with flocks as late as the 28 th of May ; the birds had
nearly acquired their summer plumage. On the 8 th of June the
flocks had entirely disappeared, but a few pairs remained in
different spots, and these were in most brilliant plumage — very
unlike their sombre winter garb, the body covered with a com-
bination of red, black, and white, giving the appearance of tortoise-
shell, and the neck and breast curiously marked with black and
white. In fact, they were in full breeding dress ; and I
suppose these pairs must have remained here with the intention
of nesting in this country.

The mode I generally adopt now to destroy life in birds,
whether wounded or not, is by tying a loop in a bit of twine,
putting it over the bird's head, suddenly pulling it tight by both
ends, and in a few seconds life is extinct with apparently little
pain. It is almost the only effectual way of killing some of the

LETTER I.

43

stronger sea-fowl, which are remarkably tenacious of life. It
does not hurt the skin, if it is required, as the loop will easily
open again, especially if the horse-hair snooding of a fish-hook is
used. It is certainly a much neater manner than that of knocking

the wounded bird's head against the side of the boat, or a stone,
which disfigures it very much, and causes the blood to flow so
much as to make it disagreeable to carry in the pocket. I have
practised it now so long that I lasso my victims with as much

-±4 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

paternal kindness as the Grand Signor bowstrings his super-
annuated ministers.

This letter has been detained for a week, as during this furious
weather our posts are few and far between. One of our unfor-
tunate Mull postmen perished in the last snowstorm. His wife
was the first person to discover his body lying stark and stiff in
a snowdrift not many hundred yards from his own door.

II.

Iona, 30th January 1852.

The Storm Petrel (Thalassidroma iwlagica).

This interesting and most diminutive member of the great order
of Natatores visits our coasts in considerable numbers during the
summer for the purpose of incubation. On fine calm evenings
at this time of the year, after the smooth surface of the deep has
put off the fiery glow imparted by the setting sun, and begins to
assume the dull, leaden tint of night, then the little Petrel may
be seen soaring along the face of the sea ; now he darts past the
fisher's boat as it is rowing along upon its homeward course ; is
seen for a moment as he flits round the lagging oars, and instantly
disappears among the increasing gloom of approaching night. His
motions are so rapid, his appearance so sudden, and he looks so
extremely diminutive, that it is only a quick eye that will detect

LETTER II. 45

his approach at all, and it would be almost impossible for the home-
ward bound sea-fowl shooter to molest him.

The Petrel breeds upon many of the little wild unfrequented
islands which surround Iona and Staffa ; the latter itself is one
station. But upon these islands I have found their nests made
in such very dissimilar positions that it would make one suppose
they belonged to distinct species. The first place that I fell in
with them was on a little islet about a league south of Iona,
named Soay. It is high and rocky, with grassy banks on its
summit, which feed about a dozen sheep ; these banks, which are
about eighty feet above the level of the sea, are composed of a
soft buttery kind of soil, which cuts, with a spade, like new
cheese ; and it is in deep burrows formed in this muddy soil that
the Petrels make their nest. These banks are perforated by
numbers of holes, having the size and appearance of rabbit
burrows. If one of these is carefully cut out with a spade, two,
or sometimes three, very small apertures, no larger than mouse
holes, are discovered opening out of this large entrance, which
serves as a lobby to as many distinct Petrel residences. By
continuing to dig up the course of these minute galleries, which
extend from three to four feet in length, and are at a considerable
depth below the surface, we at last come to a small nest com-
posed of a little dried grass, generally of a sea pink, loosely laid
together, containing a single white egg ; the egg is quite warm,
and by searching a little further the bird is sure to be found.
It allows itself to be caught and taken up without resistance, only
giving a faint squeak, and then ejects about a teaspoonful of
thick yellow oil from its bill ; the quantity and quality of this

46

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

Qarrdmlf

%W&

.".:.„. %,.-.

^ Oo^

LETTER II. 47

decreases as the season advances, and latterly ceases altogether ;
this is probably accounted for by the birds falling off in condition
during the time of sitting.1

The direction of the galleries may be ascertained by thrusting
up a ramrod, for they take frequent and abrupt windings ; a large
block of the soil may then be cut out with a spade ; and the
soil, though soft, is so tenacious that these blocks may all be
returned to their places again ; and the burrow not being
destroyed, is sometimes tenanted again next season. The birds
come to their holes in the first week in June ; the eggs are laid
by the first week in July; and on the 13th of October I have
found the young very recently hatched. I once kept a pair and
succeeded in rearing one ; the other one was killed by accident.
They would take small pieces of fish very readily, and were more
active at night than during the day. The young one when fully
fledged differed from the adult merely in being of a rustier black,
and having an ill-defined white mark across the wing, formed by
the pale tips of the secondaries. Both the young and the old
ones, when confined in a basket or bag, escape at the smallest
aperture, climbing up the sides like mice, in doing which they

1 When reading this account of the Petrel galleries of Soay or elsewhere, it
should be borne in mind that some of these same tunnelled dwellings may be
occupied by very different animals. Thus Shieldrakes use them, and also the
Otter. But Otters' holes are easily distinguished, having no side tunnels, and
being much more extensive, reaching to a distance at times of 15 feet in length,
with an average diameter of 12 inches, the sides and roof being smoothly polished
by the rubbing of the animals' fur in passing out and in ; with circular or oval
chambers, in which they rest, occurring at intervals ; and the drainage system
admirably adapted to carry off superfluous water ; and the rejectamenta of their
feasts carefully disposed in a side chamber a foot or more from the entrance of
the tunnel. Such a habitation we ourselves have seen in Soay. — Ed.

48

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

use their hooked bills to pull themselves up with : it seems to be
of more service to them than their claws.

As might be expected from their great length of wing they
cannot spring up quickly into the air ; when one is allowed to
escape from the hand, he runs rapidly along the ground for several
yards with the wings in motion before he can get fairly started ;
but if he meets with any declivity, he throws himself off and
swoops away to his ocean home. Within the limited space of
a room their wings are quite useless.

The Petrel is also found breeding at Stafi'a, and at least at one of
the Treshnish Islands, though I have no doubt they frequent all of
them. Here their nesting-places are very different from those at
Soay, for they make their nests under the large stones on the beach.
These beaches are composed of blocks of basalt, about the size of
a hat, and are considerably raised above the sea level. They seem
never to have been much exposed to the action of the waves, for

LETTER II. 49

these large stones are rugged and angular, consequently lying
loosely together, easily allowing the mouse-like Petrel to penetrate
the numerous interstices, and to circulate freely a long way below
the surface, just as we see a Wren, chased by a dog, taking refuge
in a dry stone dike ; and while the dog keeps watching the hole
at which he entered, in a moment the Wren hops out of the dike
a gun-shot further on, and chirps a feeble insult at his pursuer.
It would be impossible ever to discover the Petrel in such a
situation as this, were it not for its betraying itself, which it
does in a peculiar manner, especially about dusk, in the evening,
or at sunrise. If you happen to be upon one of these wild solitary
spots, you hear a most peculiar buzzing noise, not unlike that of
a spinning-wheel, or a goat-sucker. It is not continuous, for at
intervals of about ten seconds it is broken by a sharp click. You
soon find this music issues from beneath your feet ; guided by
the sound, you commence removing the heavy stones ; you are
encouraged in your labour by hearing the sound nearer and more
distinct ; sometimes it ceases, then recommences ; the noise and
rolling of the rocks seem to provoke the subterranean musician
to renewed efforts, until with a vigorous effort the last great stone
is rooted out, and the mystery is laid bare. We see a little black
object shuffling off, its small white egg lying upon a few blades
of dry grass to protect it from the hard rock. The bird scarcely
makes an effort to escape ; as if dazzled by the broad glare of
daylight, or stunned by the depth of its misfortune, it lies
passively in the hand of its captor, gives a faint squeak, and
drops a pellucid tear, in the shape of a globule of oil, from
its beak.

HO THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

I have compared specimens taken from these two different
breeding-places, but I am unable to detect any difference between
them. The Soay bird is always silent ; l I never heard him
indulge in these curious melodies. Both have a very powerful
odour — a musky kind of smell, which adheres to the skins years
after they are stuffed, and to everything they come in contact
with. I have perceived it when walking upon the beaches at
Carnbulg Island, and at Soay it needs no terrier to inform you
which holes are inhabited.

III.

Iona, 17th February 1852.

The Eed-legged Crow (Frcgilus gracnlus).

We have three pairs of these birds constantly resident upon the
island, and there are several other pairs which make their nests
upon the adjacent rocky shores of Mull. The Iona birds breed
every season upon the island, and usually roost during the rest
of the year somewhere in the vicinity of their old nests ; but
though they rear a young brood every season, these are sent off

1 It almost appears from our author's remarks that this curious melody is sung
to the song of the sad sea-waves rolling up the pebbly -strewn shore; and that
they may be partially induced by the monotony of the surrounding sounds ; and
further, that in the deep loam of the peaty chambers of Soay a greater silence
is upon the inhabitants of the Petrelry, owing to the greater surrounding
silence. — Ed,

LETTER III.

51

as soon as fledged to seek for other shores ; and the same limited
number only remains with us.

The Chough is a very pleasing bird ; his movements are active
and sprightly ; he is always in the highest spirits, bustling about,
calling and responding to his mate. His voice somewhat re-
sembles the Jackdaw's, but it is much more cheerful and lively,
having a clear ringing sound. Chow ! chow ! chow ! he cries
till all the distant caves resound with his own name.

,'■■ "
These birds always maintain a friendly footing with the Jack-
daws, associating with them in their feeding excursions, and
sometimes accompanying them home. The huge square tower of
St Columba's venerable shrine, grizzled with age, moss-grown
and roofless, still braves the shocks of time and the fury of the
elements, and affords secure shelter to a colony of Jackdaws
among its time-worn shafts and decaying windows. The belfry
walls which once vibrated to the merry-pealing chimes or the

5 2 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

sadly- tolling knell now only awaken to the chattering voices of
Daws. But, however this may be, the Jackdaws look upon the
old tower as their exclusive property ; and if any audacious
Hooded Crow or Kestrel ventures to alight upon it, in a moment
he is hustled oft' by the whole community, perhaps with the loss
of some of his tail feathers. One pair of Iied-legs are, however,
allowed by these jealous republicans to rear their family in the
midst of them ; and also at other times of the year they are
welcome guests to roost upon their tower. This nest was built
last year in the ledge of a small window on the very summit of
the tower upon the inside ; though quite out of reach, the outer
sticks could be seen from below. We waited patiently, hoping
that some of the young family, when nearly fledged, would fall
over ; but I suppose they were destroyed by some days of severe
wind and rain which we had about that time, for the old ones
deserted the nest afterwards. We, however, picked up the
fragments of some of the egg-shells which had fallen aftert lie
eggs were hatched ; they were of a light brownish tint, spotted
with dark brown.1

Another nest is in the mouth of a cave which can only be
entered at low-water. The nest is inaccessible, and visible from
below, but not from above. If very much wished for it might
perhaps be reached with the help of a rope. We left it un-

1 At the present time the Chough has ceased to occupy any of the sites men-
tioned above by our author. It seems still a question whether the requirements
of the Republic of the Daws have not effected this dislodgment of their more
highly-bred cousins, or whether, as suggested in the text further on (vide Letter
XVII. ), the circumstances under which the two species can thrive are not some-
what altered of late years, those favourable to the Daw being unfavourable, or
less favourable, to the Chough. — Ed,

LETTER III.

53

molested last year in hopes of getting the young, in which I was
disappointed by being absent from the island just at the time
they were fledged. This nest is a
very old establishment, and

h

has been occupied many

years. Nearly every evening, and at all

times of the year, the old pair come to roost in its neighbourhood.

I have sometimes watched them making themselves comfortable

E

54 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

fur the night ; after trying several, the}' at last select a sheltered
inaccessible ledge overhanging the sea, upon which they lie down
with their legs tucked under them.

These birds are at all times tame, but at the breeding season
they are very bold. They do not take much notice of a visitor
until very closely intruded upon, and then become very vociferous,
flying over his head, and frequently alighting about forty yards
distant, or less. Their brilliant coral bills and legs are then very
conspicuous, as they contrast with the glossy blackness of the
plumage.

Sometimes on a fine calm clay the Eed-legged Crow amuses
itself by soaring up to a great height, and then sailing round and
round in circles, after the manner of the Eagle. One fine spring
morning I witnessed a pair doing this when I was accompanied
by a veteran sportsman, who was almost deceived by them, taking
them for Eagles, until they began to call, which at once betrayed
them ; and when they descended, the matter was put beyond a
doubt by shooting one. The natives call these birds St Columba's
bird ; no doubt because it used to breed upon the cathedral in
greater numbers formerly, when those ruins were less disturbed
by steam-boat visitors.

pi»«5SB§ |j

fe - --

,-Xp-Vvfl \'°****

^ cf-'^

IV.

Iona, 4th March 1<S52.

The Raven's Nest, and Egg Collecting.

We have now fortunately begun to enjoy some pleasant weather,
and I took advantage of the very first of the fine days to launch
my boat and go round to the back of the island, to make an
attempt upon a flock of Long-tailed Ducks, which have been there
all the winter ; and I succeeded in killing a pair of fine males.
One of them was in such fine plumage, and so little hurt, that
I felt sorry I could not send him to you as he then appeared,
looking beautiful even in death, without having to spoil his
good looks by our clumsy hands in the operation of taking his
jacket off.

A fine accessible Raven's nest, full of eggs, was wantonly
destroyed by a boat's crew of blackguard fishermen last year.
The nest had been there for a course of years, and the natives
never meddled with it. It is on a wild, secluded cliff overhanging
the sea, and the place was not canny ! Voices were heard there
— the thin voices of spirits ! The Eaven is not a canny bird,
especially those who were under special spiritual protection ; and
so there it remained. I never heard of it till last year, as, I
suspect, it was intentionally concealed from me ; for when I did
discover it, several of the islanders, including the village tailor,
begged of me most earnestly not to think of harrying the nest,

56

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

or in any way to interfere with the foul tiend ! Unfortunately
I was a day too late last year. I hope the vengeful spirit of the

desecrated nest overtook
the fishermen with
a good ducking
before they got
home and a foul
wind ever after !
I despaired of the
Ravens returning ;
but yesterday the
old shepherd
(whose heart I
had just enlarged
by the presenta-
tion of six inches of pigtail) informed me that the fiacli, or
Ravens, had nearly finished building their nest in the old place.
I hope that I may get them if all goes right, even though it
should be necessary to take a basin of holy water from St
Columba's cell to dash into the nest and dislodge the deil
from his eggs.

Collecting eggs, however, is as uncertain and full of disappoint-
ment as even wild-fowl shooting, and this is why I speak so
cautiously in the list I have just written ; for many of these
eggs, though very plentiful at the islands, must be procured at
exactly the right time, and from the uncertainty of the weather
it is not always possible to get them. Last year, for instance,
being a week too late, out of nearly every Puffin's and Black

Vut^t-

LETTER IV. 0 7

Guillemot's hole, instead of an egg, I extracted an unpleasantly
soft, downy, dirty little object, which I was glad to return again,
receiving for my pains a furious nip from the old one ; and a
Puffin's bite is really no joke ; it is as bad as a Parrot's, and he
holds on like a bull-dog. The most cautious mode of proceeding,
when you wish to take up a live Puffin, is to give him a gentle
tap on the head to confuse him, and quickly grasp him round
the neck before he has time to catch your fingers. But one
cannot be cruel to a Puffin, for his comical look would make a
cynic laugh.

I have not met with the Sandwich Tern here at all, though
the Common and Arctic Terns — especially the latter — breed in
profusion, so that we use their eggs as an article of food ; but I
will keep a watch for it next year. The Hooded Crow's eggs are
most numerous, as these odious birds are most extraordinarily
abundant, and they are very persevering in nesting, although
their nests and eggs are continually destroyed. Last year I
witnessed a very striking instance of this ; for, finding a nest,
I waited till it contained five eggs, and then took them. A few
days after I examined it, and found three eggs, which I took, and
destroyed the nest. About a fortnight later I found a new nest
built not a gunshot from the old situation, containing four eggs,
which the hen was hatching. From the lateness of the season,
as well as the proximity of the situation, I hailed her as my
persevering old friend.

I am informed, on undoubted authority, that it is a common
trick for young people to remove the Hoody's eggs, and replace
them with Bantam's eggs slightly rubbed with indigo, which the

58

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

Crow hatches most faithfully ; only they must be removed
immediately from the nest, before the foster-mother has time to

|stroy| her spurious brood. I have so far
witnessed this experiment,

that four small Hen's
eggs, which I placed in a nest, were
most faithfully covered by the Crow for ten days, when unfor-
tunately they were taken away by a mischievous boy. A much
more cruel trick is that of boiling the eggs hard to prevent their

LETTER IV.

59

being hatched, and consequently the poor bird sits on them till
she gets so exhausted as to be incapable of flying, and so falls
alive into the hands of her young tormentors. A young one
taken from the nest becomes a useful garden scavenger, destroy-
ing all kinds of injurious insects.1

I hope to get some new eggs this season, by setting the boys
on the search among the moors over in Mull ; but it is not easy
to get the people to understand why you want eggs. St John,
in his Tour in Sutherland, when inquiring about an eagle's nest
of an old shepherd, breaks out into a lamentation upon the reserve
of the Highlanders, " who seem to have a suspicious dislike to giv-
ing information." A
little snecshin, or
a few inches
of tobacco,
at once
goes to the
heart of the old
mountaineer; but it must
be given in the right way,
not as you would throw a
beggar a halfpenny, but
with such a remark as
" Maybe you're out
of tobacco to-day, , ._ _

Donald," or - Gim^mJtM (>^

"Try this, Sandy, and tell me if it's good or no." The gentle
1 Vide Vertebrate Fauna of the Outer Hebrides, p. 70. — Ed.

00 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

weed is the great mollifier among the wildest nations : the Aral)
exchanges pipes on meeting his friend, as an assurance of his
good faith, and the American chiefs dispel the impending war-
cloud by a few whirl's from the pacific calumet. Had tobacco
been discovered in the Middle Ages, I will answer for it that
those warlike barons would have stopped at home and smoked
their pipes upon their castle walls, instead of galloping about the
country cutting people's throats.

I am on the eve of starting on a trip to the north-west
extremity of Mull, where there is a loch famous for Widgeon and
other Ducks. I shall take a boat and one hand, touching, if it is
possible, at Staffa on the way, for Geese abound there. I wish I
could have the pleasure of your company : I have plenty of
feathered society indeed, but I would rather, for a companion,
have one of Hato's two-legged animals without feathers ! The
time of my absence will depend entirely upon the wind.

I began this letter intending to make a few remarks upon the
habits of the Long-tailed Duck ; instead of which I have rambled
after birds' nests, till I have got I don't know where, so I had
better conclude, and leave the Long-tailed Duck for another post.

V,

Iona, 24th March 1852.

You will be glad to hear that the charm of the Raven's nest has
been broken ; that we attempted it last week, and succeeded in
harrying it. It contained five eggs ; and I will willingly consign
to you my share, though I have a companion who lays claim to
half of the plunder. The nest was situated on a very dangerous
cliff, not in the same place as the old nest. The beetling crag
overhung it so as to make it invisible from above, except from
a projecting ledge about a gunshot further on. The old shep-
herd had stipulated with me that the Raven was to be shot ;
but he was so eager to point out the right position for seeing
the nest, that he obstructed my aim at the critical moment
of the bird's launching herself off the nest. Shepherds of
course have a hereditary hatred of Ravens, but I was glad
that she escaped, as I have no grudge against her, and I
could not have saved her skin, for she would have fallen into
the stormy waves far down beneath the nest. I was dis-
appointed in the size of the eggs, as they are not larger than
those of the Hooded Crow ; they are of a longer shape, and
their colour is a fine deep greenish blue, and with few or no
spots.

I was out walking this evening, since writing the above, and
I saw the two Ravens evidently choosing a locality for trying a
new nest. One of them had a piece of moss or wool in its bill.

62

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

They are apparently disposed to try the opposite side of the
island for their new habitation. Though I did not go after them,
for fear of frightening them from their intention, yet I have a
good idea of the spot they will choose — a precipitous cliff,
generally tenanted by a pair of Kestrels and several Hooded
Crows. The latter seemed jealous of this encroachment, and two
pairs of these Crows constantly followed them with vociferous
cries. The short, angry bark of the Kavens warned them not to

interfere with them ; but the

Hooded Crow is a bold,

determined fellow, with

powerful bill and

j :, claws, too, which

^' ^- he uses with

^.v~ %v effect in

^ow^^^f "

LETTER V.

63

his assistance. In this
way I have often seen
Kestrels and Merlins miser-
ably hustled; and the lordly
Peregrine does not
pass without being
insulted. They
pursue the small
Hawks with great
venom _Z." ~"7

although 3 iiasSi I never saw
a battle terminate
occasionally met with
their bones and carcases,
occasion ZTr - I picked up a fine

Buzzard, only a few hours dead,
mark of violence but a
slight wound upon the head. How deceased
met with his death there was not sufficient evidence
to prove, but I was tempted to return a verdict of wilful murder
against some Hoody or Hoodies unknown.

I was disappointed in my expectations of getting Widgeon
on the north-west parts of Mull, as they had got very shy since
the fine weather set in, though I saw some large flocks floating
about the lochs, but keeping far out of range, even of swanshot.
The only good fortune I had was while rowing through the Sound
of Ulva, where I saw a party of three Great Northern Divers

64 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

very busy fishing, and calling to one another with loud hoarse
shouts. I rowed up close to one, and fired a charge of No. 7
into him at thirty yards, and, without stopping, held on in the
direction of his consort, who had dived at the report, but rose
again close to the boat, and another shot stretched her on her
back. The third was not much scared, but would not let me
approach him, and I was not very anxious to pursue him. These
are very large birds, and they weigh, I am sure, fourteen pounds

each, though I have not weighed them yet. The skin of one is
very little hurt, which J will try to preserve ; they are only in
their plain winter garb.

Immediately after meeting with these great monsters, I found
myself surrounded by the other extreme of the family of Colym-
bidse — namely, three most minute little Dabchicks, or Grebes.
Their activity utterly set my shooting at defiance ; and, with a
heavy boat deeply laden with ballast, I could not attempt
pursuing them till they were fatigued, which is the only mode of

LETTER VI. 65

getting them. I remembered your inquiries about Grebes ; but
as there are a few in our neighbourhood, in Mull, I intend to take
a light punt to pursue them with, and so I will defer making any
remarks concerning them till after this opportunity of studying
their habits. Yesterday, in returning home from an expedition,
my mate and I had to pull the entire distance, twenty-five miles ;
which gave us hard work from two p.m. till ten, besides a walk
of ten miles over the hills in the morning.

VI.

Iona, 25th March 1852.

The Long-tailed Ice Duck (Harelda glacialis).

This bird comes to Iona in the early part of November, when
there appears a small flock of a dozen or so, which takes up its
station off the northern coast of the island. These are gradually
reinforced during the frosts and severe weather of December and
January by fresh arrivals which are driven in from the sea, and
from their more unsheltered haunts, till at last a very great
number are assembled in the bay. Towards the end of March
this large flock begins to break up into pairs and small parties ;
many go away ; and when the weather keeps fine they make long
excursions, and for days the bay is quite deserted — not a Long-
tail is to be seen. A change of weather, however, will still bring
them back, and a smart gale would assemble a considerable flock

66 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

of them, and this as late as the second week in April ; but after
this time you see them no more. Thus we have them with us for
about four months. They arrive with the first frown of winter,
and depart with the earliest blink of summer sun. The Northern
Hareld brings ice and snow and storms upon its wings ; but as
soon as winter, with his tempestuous rage, rolls unwillingly back
before the smile of advancing spring, to his Polar dominions, the
bird follows in his train ; for no creature revels more amidst the
gloom and rage and horrors of winter than the Ice Duck.

The change which takes place in the appearance of these
birds during the latter part of their stay is very striking. In
winter you see the flocks of Long-tails far off, twinkling like
bright white stars upon the blue waves ; but late in spring they
become so dark that at a short distance they look very black.
Last year they remained so late as the 18th of April ; and I had
an excellent opportunity of watching a party of them on that day.
I was looking down upon them from a small eminence with a
glass ; and sometimes they came almost within reach of shot, so
that I was able to examine them nearly as well as if they were
actually in my hand. They seemed to be in full summer plumage.
The males a fine deep black, something reddish about the wings
when the sun caught them ; curious little white caps upon their
heads, and a patch of white visible behind the thigh. The females
were dark brown. I got one of these, though I did not succeed
in getting a male. The first time that I saw my old friends in
their new costume I did not recognise them, and I was puzzled to
know who they were ; but at this meeting I was set at ease at once,
as they were the first to speak, and then I recognised their voice.

LETTER VI. 67

The cry of the Long-tailed Duck is very remarkable, and has
obtained for it the Gaelic name of Lack Bhinn, or the Musical
Duck, the most appropriate name for them ; for when their voices
are heard in concert — rising and falling — borne along upon the
breeze between the rollings of the surf, the effect is musical,
wild, and startling. You look around in vain to discover whence
the mysterious strains proceed. " Ah ! " you exclaim, " sometimes
the fishermen take their bagpipes out with them to cheer their
toil while rowing. But no ; no boat could live among those terrible
breakers, and nothing is in sight all round the murky horizon.
Surely, then, I am listening to a band of Tritons and Naiads, whose
music thus mingles with the splashing of the waves, to which the
intermissive roar of the surf forms a fitting bass ! " The united
cry of a large flock sounds very like bagpipes at a distance, but
the cry of a single bird when heard very near is certainly not so
agreeable. On the occasion I just mentioned I took great pains
to learn the note ; and the following words are the nearest
approach that can be given of it in writing; it articulates them
very distinctly, though in a musical, bugle-like tone : — Our, o, u,
ah ! our, o, u, ah ! Sometimes the note seems to break down in
the middle, and the bird gets no further than our, or ower, which
it runs over several times, but then, as with an effort, the whole
cry is completed, loud and clear, and repeated several times, as if
in triumph. At this time they were busily feeding, diving in
very deep water on a sandy bottom, and calling to one another
when they rose to the surface.

I never saw these Ducks come very near the shore ; perhaps
this is partly owing to the bay which they frequent having shores

68

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

which they could not approach easily, as there is usually a heavy
surf breaking upon them. I have frecpiently watched them at
night, to see if they would come into any of the creeks, but
they never did ; on the contrary, after dusk they would often
leave the bay ; the whole of them would fly off simultaneously in
the direction of the mainland

of Mull, as if they were bound
for some well-known feeding ground. I have often seen them
actively feeding in the day-time, though more generally they are
floating about at rest or diverting themselves. They are of a
very lively and restless disposition, continually rising on the wing,
flying round and round in circles, chasing one another, squattering
along the surface, half-flying, half-swimming, accompanying all
these gambols with their curious cries. When the storms are at
their loudest, and the waves running mountains high, then their
glee seems to reach its highest pitch, and they appear thoroughly

LETTER VI.

69

to enjoy the [a confusion. When

watching them on one of these occa-

sions, I had to take shelter under a rock from a
dreadful blast, accompanied by very heavy snow,
which in a moment blotted out the whole land-
scape ; everything was enveloped in a shroud of

mist and driving sleet
the intense gloom
phant song of these
above the uproar
when the mist
the whole flock

but from the midst of
there arose the trium-
wild creatures, rising
of the elements ; and
lifted, I beheld
: eareerin g-about

V-3

K^

70 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

the bay as if mad with delight. When feeding over some seaweed-
covered bank, the whole party disappear, and rise again together.
I have examined the contents of their stomachs, but found
nothing but half-digested seaweed and great quantities of shell-
sand, and pieces of coralline.

I have always found them a very difficult bird to shoot. I
never could get a sitting shot at them, though I have tried every
method of approaching them — running down upon them under
sail, rowing to them, or drifting in a minute punt. I have had
most success by coming in upon them from the sea in a small
boat. They invariably take wing when you get within from a
hundred yards to a quarter of a mile. The moment you hear
their music begin loudly to sound, drop your oars, seize your gun ;
there you see the large flock rising like a black cloud off the
water. Now they fly in a long straggling body to windward —
there they turn ! — here they come — look out ! The main flock
passes by out of shot ; never mind, here's a small party coming
straight for us ; in a moment they are whistling past the boat
with the swiftness of shot ; no time for a poking aim ; bang !
hurra ! — there's a pair of them. Load again ; that shot has
broken up the large flock, and small bodies are flying about in
all directions ; you will soon get another shot ; after that they
will probably fly out to sea. This is a fortunate day ; but I
have often had the mortification of seeing them all fly off to sea
without obtaining a single shot at them.

From the various plumage of the male, female, winter, summer,
young, and adult, there is a wonderful variety exhibited wherever
many of these birds are congregated.

VII.

Iona, 5 th April 1852.

As to D's remarks about the Petrels' burrows being made by
Eabbits, this may be a mere inaccuracy on his part ; or it is very
possible that the Petrels take advantage of rabbit holes when
they occur upon their breeding stations, as the Puffins and
Shieldrakes, I believe, do ; though among our islands these are
obliged to make holes for themselves, as there are no Babbits to
assist them. The Stormy Petrels' holes at Soay have, exteriorly,
very much the appearance of rabbit burrows, but, on excavating,
the resemblance ceases ; there would scarcely be room for a
Eabbit to conceal his whole body in one. The entrance, though
wide, extends but a very slight depth below the surface of the
ground ; it immediately contracts into one or two very small
passages, only capable of affording ingress to such a diminutive
creature as a Mouse or Petrel. These large entrance halls seem
to be of great age, overgrown with moss, and the small galleries
seem more recently made, or at least re-bored}

Last year I found a Wheatear's nest formed in the entrance,
while the back premises were tenanted by two pairs of Petrels,
who must have been forced to walk over the Wheatear's back
whenever they came out. None of our small islands contain
Eabbits, but if they were once introduced they would thrive and
multiply wonderfully. A small rocky islet off the town of
1 See remarks in footnote at p. 47, antea. — Ed.

72 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

Tobermory, called Calve Island, was thought to be turned to some
account by a former proprietor, who stocked it with Kabbits of a
superior breed. In the course of time these so destroyed the
pasture that a later proprietor wished to get rid of them ; but
they utterly defied all his efforts to extirpate them. Kabbits are
abundant in Iona now, yet the man is still alive who introduced
the first pair into the island. Hares were also very recently
introduced into Tiree island. I have frequently met with Hares
upon little islets a quarter of a mile from the mainland, which
they must of course have reached by swimming; but Eabbits,
I think, never take to the water, even for the shortest distance,
though they frequent the seashore for the sake of seaweed.
There are some tempting islands hardly a gunshot from the
mainland of Iona, which are never visited by Eabbits.

Most of the small islets and rocks within a moderate distance
of the coast are infested by rats, which subsist upon the shell-
fish, crabs, birds' eggs, &c. Fortunately these rascals have not
reached Soay ; it is too far out for them, clever swimmers as
they are. If they once get a footing there, they will quickly
banish Petrels and every other bird from nesting there more.
I was often disappointed during the egg season, when searching
for sea-fowls' eggs, to find many promising-looking rocks un-
tenanted ; but I soon discovered that the cause of it was the rats
had penetrated to them, and the birds instinctively avoided these
spots. A few days ago my terrier turned a rat out of a hole in
the sand, and being hard pressed, it boldly jumped into a small
pool of water, diving immediately. The water being clear, I
could see him distinctly swimming about near the bottom, exactly

LETTER VII.

73

L >%&

like an Otter in miniature. I was *& ^'!"

very much surprised at his power of endurance.
Whenever he rose towards the surface, he saw the dog's nose
suspended over the spot where he was about to
rise, and down he would dive again to
the depths of the pool. —

Becoming a little ex-
hausted at last, the dog
dived down after him and killed
him. You meet with rats in
the most out-of-the-way >

situations. I have taken them
in traps set for birds among the

hills, and once upon a small island in the middle of a loch. The
island is quite bare, and not larger than a table ; so he must have
swum out there on a voyage of discovery.

A few months ago I took a Mallard in a trap, as he was

frequenting a spot where I could not get near him. When he

made, in due time, his appearance at table, we found several grains

of No. 3 quite inside his body, which

seemed to have been

there a

pj^r^& - ■-- --- .«-»

T4 THE BIRDS OP ION A AND MULL.

long time ; yet he was in excellent condition. That was an
unlucky bird, yet I pity more the poor fellow who lost him, and
perhaps accused himself of having missed a fine shot. I have
sometimes got birds (as a Pigeon, Golden Plover, or Dunlin Sand-
piper), with only one leg; that is to say, they seemed to have
lost one foot, or else were naturally deformed ; but these were
always in as good condition, and as fat, as their companions, who
had the advantage of possessing a proper assortment of legs.
The winter before last I caught a Gannet which had one leg
diseased in a very curious way ; it was swollen to more than
double the natural size, and was full of dark-coloured blood.
He swam in from the sea, and walked up on to the rocks, where
he allowed himself to be taken without attempting to resist.

On Saturday I shot a pair of Teal upon a small loch in Iona,
which reminded me of an adventure I had there a long time ago,
and which I mention : — I had shot a nice little Drake Teal in the
middle of the loch, which I was very desirous to get, as I wished to
take a drawing of him ; but having no dog, I stripped and went in
after him. The water was not beyond my depth, but the bottom
was very soft, oozy mud, which held one's feet as firmly as the
stocks, while all around the water was filled with a tangled mass
of aquatic plants, which closed about one's limbs like a strongly-
woven net ; and there I hung like a fly in a cobweb, floundering
about like Milton's Satan in chaos. It was a very long time
before I could extricate myself, and I was very nearly sticking
there for good ; however, I secured my bird, but resolved not to
be without a dog in future, as such places are excessively
dangerous.

LETTER VII.

75

The dog I have used since is a Skye terrier, a small bluish-
grey one, which takes the water well ; his feet are as webbed as
those of an Otter, and his small size and his colour resembling
that of the rocks, render him almost invisible — a great advantage
when stalking or waiting for birds. Being accustomed to the
boat, I find him sometimes useful ; when he sees birds upon the
water he makes a decided
point, sometimes before

-y»rJX

'S£yyro~ ~ I can detect them, especially

when rowing alone in a punt,
when of course one's back is turned on everything that may
be ahead.

Another very necessary part of one's equipment is a glass of
some kind. I formerly used a small telescope, but I have long
given up carrying that, it being so cumbersome, and involving
so much time, trouble, and the use of both hands every time it is
looked through. A small single-barrelled opera-glass is far more

70 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

useful, as it may be fixed at the right focus, and so can be pulled
out of the pocket, and used by the left hand alone, while the gun
may still be retained in the other. A glass of this kind will of
course not command such a long range as the telescope, but they
are made of very considerable power, sufficient at least for most
occasions. It is very useful for detecting birds upon the water,
when one is boating, or for discovering them among rocks, or
among reeds and cover ; and by twilight it is superior to the
telescope, as it contains fewer glasses, and does not consequently
absorb so much of the light.

The Ravens have got their new nest in the locality I expected
they were going to adopt. Here, in a high cliff, they have taken
up their residence in an old nest formerly built by a Peregrine,
but since tenanted by Hooded Crows. The nest being ready
built, it only required a fresh lining. The place, I think, is totally
inaccessible ; however, I may sacrifice one of the old birds for the
sake of its skin, should it be wanted.

I have got two more Black Guillemots' skins for you which
exhibit the changes the plumage undergoes between winter and
summer. The Wheatear arrived here on the 21st of March.

Last Saturday, the 3rd of April, I found a Rock Dove's nest
containing young ones, which is unusually early.

""T-- •JU^W»^.*''_

VIII.

Iona, 10 th April 1852.

The Eock Dove (Columba livia).

The Wood Pigeon is unknown upon our rocky woodless shores,
but its absence is compensated for by great numbers of a smaller
species — the Rock Dove.

The granite cliffs on the south of Mull, the basaltic crags of
Staffa, and lofty precipices of trap rock upon the adjacent islands,
are all perforated by innumerable caverns of every imaginable
size and shape, from the well-known majestic Hall of Fingal,
resounding with the sullen booming of ever-rolling waves, down
to the little fairy grotto, whose cool white shell-sand is scarce
dimpled by the sparkling ripples of the sheltered sea. Some of
these caves are grand and of lofty dimensions, with no floor but
the deep blue water, which heaves to and fro through their huge
frowning portals ; others are romantic and picturesque, their rocks
covered with many-coloured lichens, and their dark apertures
fringed with shaggy heather and ivy, amongst which is browsing
a wild mountain goat, with huge horns and beard. But many
more of these caverns are horribly gloomy and forbidding — deep
black dens extending far beyond the reach of the light of day,
stretching into the very bowels of the adamantine cliff. The air
smells dank and foul, and the walls are dripping with unwhole-
some slime. It is dangerous to explore them further without

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

W*v< ||§*'*"

LETTER VIII. 79

striking a light, as you may meet deep holes and black pools of
water ; and it is not unlikely but you may see the twinkling eyes
of an Otter peeping out through the gloom. These caves generally
have legends attached to them, such as of fugitive clansmen hiding
from the pursuit of the avenger of blood, of wholesale deeds of
murder, or of wild scenes of diablerie ; and the names of the
Cave of Death, the Pit of Slaughter, and the Hobgoblin's Ben are
often met with, and human bones actually are often discovered in
them.

These haunts of bygone murderers, smugglers, and outlaws
are now only tenanted by Doves, the emblems of innocence. They
may be seen perpetually flitting in and out, some parties going
off to feed, others returning to rest ; a few birds sitting about the
entrance, pluming themselves in the sunshine, or quietly dozing
upon a sheltered ledge of rock. Upon a near approach, the cooing
of the old birds may be heard, together with the querulous peep-
peeping of the young demanding food, and the occasional stir of
wings ; but upon any alarm being given, the voices are imme-
diately silenced, the clang and whir of wings reverberate from
the profundity of the cave, and out pours a long stream of snowy
bosoms and silver wings, which swiftly skim along the surface of
the sea, and disappear round the next headland. In Iona alone
(though but a small island) we have as many as nine or ten caves
frequented by Pigeons, and in nearly every island of the Hebrides
there is sure to be one cave called par excellence " Ua' Caloman,"
the Pigeon Cave.

I believe this Dove is only found upon the coast, though I am not
aware what attraction the seashore has for it ; certainly with us it

so

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

v

m

S&1&-

LETTER VIII. 81

exclusively inhabits the sea-caves, and never goes far inland. In
the winter I have once or twice seen them sitting upon the rocks at
low-water, but I hardly think they were looking for food. They
feed upon land snails — some small species which at certain times
is found in considerable variety and vast abundance, spread over
the low sandy pastures which skirt the sea.1 The stubbles, the
newly-sown fields, and the stackyards are their principal resorts
for food, and their crops are invariably to be found well distended
with grain, though in winter it is difficult to account for their
getting such good supplies, after the stubbles are picked clean
and the stackyards cleared. They must sometimes go great
distances for their daily food ; those which inhabit the small
islands must of course always come to the mainland for their
supply of grain — some a great distance. When a large flock is
suddenly raised while feeding in a cornfield, after wheeling up
in the air, it breaks up into smaller parties, which dart off in
various directions for their homes — some across the seas, others
to the nearer caves.

They seem to be migratory, to a certain extent in quest of
food, at seedtime and harvest, if, as is often the case, the island
crops are a little earlier than those on the mainland. Then our
fields are covered with those petty plunderers, and at night the
caves are filled with roosting birds, which remain about the island
as long as food is very plentiful, and then decamp. I think,
however, that individual birds are a good deal in the habit of

1 See Vertebrate Fauna of the Outer Hebrides. D. Douglas, Edinburgh, 1888,
p. 113. In other districts of greater agricultural merit, however, the Rock Doves
constantly frequent the corn stubbles or barley stubbles of the interior, as at
Tantallon, the coasts of Berwickshire, &c, and in the Orkneys. — Ed.

82

THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL.

frequenting the same localities and roosting in the same cave
until driven off by some cause. I have watched marked birds
doing so ; especially last summer, I was observing a large white
male Pigeon, which had evidently escaped from the cot ; he took
to himself a little wild mate, and reared a brood in one of the
caves. I made a duty of destroying his family,
which was easily done, as they

B^ep"^

'^^^m^:

£*

■■ ;- ■•'■ .'.••'; \

J

but he himself, though of such

a conspicuous colour, always contrived

to escape. He became very wary from

being pursued, and I remarked that he

always frequented the same cave, till

he received a random shot, after which I lost sight

of him for a considerable time ; but I found him at last, located

upon the other side of the island, where he remained till his death.

LETTER VIII.

83

-r-yx

The Eock Dove's nest is
made up of small sticks or
heather, or dried seaweed,
and is lined with dried grass ;
the situation selected is any
little ledge or cleft within
the sheltering bosom of a
rocky cavern. The eggs are
two in number, generally pro-
ducing male and female birds.
The time for commencing
their nesting seems rather
variable ; this year I found
some young ones already
hatched on the 2nd of April,
while other pairs were only
erecting their nests. They
have several broods in the
year, and their eggs may be
found unhatched as late as
September.

It is rather a timid bird
if often shot at, but is by no.
means a shy or wary bird ;
in the fields the feeding
flocks may often be openly
approached, or the most bare-
faced attempts at stalking

84 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

them will succeed. In the breeding season the hen will sit on
the nest till approached, and never deserts it though often dis-
turbed, and her nest and eggs handled. She does not always seek
for inaccessible ledges to build her nest on, but takes any spot which
offers, sometimes even the very floor of the cave.1 If her eggs
are taken out, she will probably replace them ; and if her young
are taken when half-Hedged, she seems glad to get them so soon
off her hands, and at once prepares for rearing her second brood.2
The young birds instantly become quite tame and reconciled to
hand feeding ; indeed, as they grow up, their impertinent bold-
ness becomes rather troublesome. They readily take to the
dovecot, and pair with the tame Pigeons ; even with fancy
breeds, such as Fantails, &c. If a pair of real wild ones breed
in confinement, their progeny at once show signs of diverging in
colour from the natural uniform of their wild ancestry ; the
young birds are of a dark slate-colour in their first plumage,
though they have the same markings as the adult birds. The
male is recognised from his mate by a slight superiority of size,
and more lustrous plumage.

In a gastronomic point of view these Pigeons are one of the
most valuable kind of birds which frequent our coasts ; they are
nearly always fat and in good condition, are numerous and always
to be procured ; besides, being fed constantly upon our barley and
oats, one can feel no compunction in levying a tribute upon them
in return.

1 This is different from most of our experience. — Ed.

- This appears as a new consideration for Members or Directors of the Asso-
ciation for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who prosecute for taking young
birds for scientific purposes. — Ed,

LETTER IX. 85

They are easiest shot while feeding abroad in the fields ; at
the caves a shout will cause them to fly out, but with such
suddenness and swiftness that it requires something of a
Battersea Pigeon-shooter's knack to succeed in hitting them
quick enough. An indifferent shot (after knocking over one or
two which may be incautiously napping on the outer ledges) had
better conceal himself either in a cave or in a good position above
it ; in a short time a bird is sure to come darting swiftly for its
accustomed haunts, but upon catching a glimpse of a lurking foe,
he stops his rapid career, flutters his pinions for a moment,
uncertain what to do ; that momentary indecision is fatal — down
he falls ! while a roar as of a volcano bellows along the vaulted
roof, and the cave is filled with wreaths of sulphurous smoke.

Writing from Iona I must not conclude without reminding
you of the name of our patron saint, St Columba, the Dove that
first brought to this land the olive branch of mercy.

IX.

Iona, 14th April 1852.

Last Saturday (the 10th), being a very fine day, I and a young
friend paid a visit to Soay to see what the feathered world was
about. We did not meet with much life on our way ; the winter
birds have mostly left, and the summer ones have not yet arrived

G

8 6 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

in sufficient numbers to supply the vacancy ; besides which the
fine weather keeps them out at sea. . We saw a string of Shear-
waters (Puffinus anglorum), flying in a flock of about a dozen ;
this is their first appearance this year. We also saw a few Solan
Geese (Sulci alba), diving and plunging ; their appearance here is
a sign that they are on their way to their breeding stations. We
were disappointed in our hope of finding Geese on the island,
though they seem to have been very numerous there recently.

On exploring a cavern, from which we procured several broods
of young Rock Doves (Golumba livia) last year, we found, as we
expected, a nest. The cave is of very great depth, but so narrow
as scarcely to allow a person to reach the inner extremity. There
we found the nest, made upon the ground, among the shingle,
exteriorly formed of dry seaweed, and inside lined with sea-pink.
It contained a pair of fresh eggs ; there was a third lying out-
side the nest, which the birds seemed to have eaten;1 it was empty,
with only one small hole broken in it, so we took possession of
the three eggs in your name.

While returning we met with several Black Guillemots (Uria
grylle). I took a couple and found them to have completely
assumed their summer plumage, though it has not yet acquired
the brilliancy it possesses in the breeding season. I was about
to shoot another which had rather a peculiar appearance, his body
being quite black as in summer, while his head and neck retained a
great deal of the grey ; but there happened to be a pair of Eider
Ducks (Somateria mollissima) at a short distance, and though we
could not have got within shot of them, yet I did not wish to

1 Or possibly eaten by a rat. — Ep.

LETTER IX.

87

disturb them, as I hope they may make their nest upon Soay, or
one of the surrounding rocks.

As we were rowing along under the cliffs at the southern
extremity of Iona we saw a

~^

j^ curious-looking bird ahead, which, on

nearing, we recognised to be a Long-tailed Duck {Harelda glacialis).
He was evidently a straggler, and very tame, allowing the boat
to come almost within shot of him before taking wing. I

88 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

happened to have a cartridge in the gun, which I sent after him,
and happily bowled him over. It is an adult male, acquiring his
summer plumage, which gives him a curious mottled appearance.
I have kept his skin in the same manner as the last, and it will
be interesting to compare it with the full winter dress. The
black spot on the neck Is expanding and spreading over the
whole neck and breast, till it meets at the black portion of the
body. The white shoulder patch and long scapulars have dis-
appeared, and are replaced by shorter red and black feathers.
The only part which is imperfect is the tail ; the long feathers
have been cast, and the summer tail has not yet replaced them.

Of course it was too early to look for Petrels yet ; so this was
the whole produce of our voyage, unless I add the lid of some

9

poor sailor's chest, which we picked up as it was drifting in from

the ocean. It bore an almost illegible name, Peter B , much

overgrown with barnacles : but there were marks, slightly burnt,
as if from a pipe having been frequently knocked out on them,
which I much fear was finally extinguished in the salt-water
waves, along with its owner.

The Choughs have been for some days back busily engaged
carrying wool into their cave, and the last time I passed near
them the pair attacked me furiously, alighting within twenty
yards, scolding with all their might ; their wings, half-expanded,
quivering with wrathful emotion, their bills wide open, and their
heads lowered near the ground, as they threw out their shrill
ear-piercing screams,

Lorn, 1st May 1852.

It is possible that I shall leave this note with my own hands at
your address in Glasgow, accompanied by a small box containing
a pair of Eed-legged Crows, one skinned and the other simply dis-
embowelled and embalmed in the style of an Egyptian mummy.
They are remarkably small specimens, and I do not think they
were nesting, as I watched them for several days ; however, they
are male and female.

My own particular friends, as I mentioned in my last letter,
had completed their labours of nidification, and I supposed that
they would immediately commence laying and hatching; but I
was much concerned to see them very rarely near their nest, and
I picked up some wool (apparently the lining of the nest) upon
the floor of the cave. Determined to examine it, I contrived to
hoist myself up to the spot with the assistance of a boat's anchor
and cable. The nest, beautifully woven of heather sprigs, was
unlined and empty. I cannot account for this misfortune ; how-
ever, the old birds still haunt the vicinity of the cave, and
furiously resent any intrusion near it ; and possibly they may
make another attempt at nesting this year.

I also send you a few Hooded Crow's eggs ; these were
replaced by a pair of Bantam's eggs daubed with indigo, only one
Crow's egg being left. In due time the little Hoody made his

90

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

appearance, and two days after the young Bantams saw the light.
The old Crow nursed the two little chickens with the same tender-
ness that she showed towards her own little savage imp ; there
they were, like Romulus and Remus,

§

^J^Y^c/ m tne bosom of their rugged

foster-mother. We carried them away, however, from the ogre's
castle, fearing that they might some day remark, " What a great
beak you have got, grandmamma ! "

I intend visiting London, and shall not return to Iona till the

LETTER X. 01

end of June, and consequently I shall be absent the best part of
the egg season.

I shall conclude with a few notes of the month : —

May 1st. — Considerable liocks of Whimbrels arrived. I killed
three couple with great ease, and found them in very good con-
dition, which may be taken as a proof that their last stage was
not a very long or harassing one. These birds continue very
numerous during the whole of May, but as soon as June com-
mences they disappear as suddenly as they arrived. Iona is not
one of their halting-places on their return south, for we are not
visited by them in autumn, except by an occasional straggler.

May 12 th. — The Terns and Corncrakes arrived. Their
appearance is so precisely punctual to the clay, that I would as
soon date by it as I would by the almanac. The Herring Gull
(Larus argentatus) is with us far more common than the Lesser
Black-backed Gull (L. fuscus), except at this time of the year,
when great numbers of the latter are seen in all the newly-sown
fields, busily eating the corn among flocks of wild Pigeons and
trespassing poultry. They are at such times extremely wary,
and indeed at all times they appear to be much more so than
the Grey Gulls.

I shall now drop anchor, as I have been out all night in an
open boat — a two-masted skiff, with three reefs in the mainsail,
battling against a heavy sea and head wind blowing very hard.
I landed at five in the morning, well drenched with rain and
spray.

XI

Iona, 20th September 1852.

I eegket very much that I have entirely lost this season, so far
as ornithological pursuits are concerned, owing to my absence
during the most interesting time — namely, while the birds were
nesting. It is a useless occupation lamenting over lost oppor-
tunities, but I must mention one or two.

A pair of Eider Ducks and a pair of Shieldrakes have success-
fully reared their broods upon Soay Island, and have gone off
with their families unmolested. Another Shieldrake's nest was
discovered upon one of the Treshnish Isles by a youth connected
with the fishery, and while he was handling the eggs he observed
another hole at the back of the Shieldrake's nest, and discovered
within it a Shearwater (Pujftnus anglorum) sitting upon her egg.
I lost all these owing to my not being at home.

On the 6 th of this month, when on a visit to Staffa, we shot a
number of Guillemots and Eazor-bills ; they were mostly birds of
the year, and among them was one young Bridled Guillemot ( Uria
lachrymans); though in immature plumage, the white line round
the eye was quite distinctly marked, but the bird was too much
injured to be preserved. We took away a pair of young Rock
Doves (Columba lima) from Soay, intending to rear them by hand,
as we have often done before ; but it happened that a pair of tame
Pigeons had just had their young taken by a cat, and of their

LETTER XI.

93

own accord the bereaved parents immediately took to the two
orphans, and brought them up.

By the last post I forwarded a pair of young Petrels (Thalassi-
droma pelagica) ; they were taken from Soay on the 8th, and were
then about a fortnight old, but very

jb**^*

little advanced, being covered
with a profusion of down, and their legs and wings quite useless.
The old birds were all absent ; though we searched every hole,
and dug one hole out to ascertain that they were not skulking at
the extremity of their burrows, we did not succeed in finding one.
The two young captives were placed in a little box, and fed with

94

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

very small bits of fish, crammed down on the end of a little stick ;
they took their food in this manner with great reluctance, but I
soon discovered that they had a great partiality for cod-liver oil,
and would suck a stick dipped in oil very willingly, clattering
their beaks and shaking their heads with evident satisfaction. I
should conclude from this that the Petrels feed their young with
the oil, which they have the power of ejecting from their bills.

The young birds made very rapid progress, and soon became

tired of confinement, and were only pleased when allowed to walk

about upon the table, though they could not rise off their knees.

During the last few days that I had them they became quite

Hedged, though still retaining a great deal of wool upon their

bodies ; and they also became exceedingly active and restless, and

very much dissatisfied with confinement in the

box. Night and day their

long powerful wings were

1 in incessant motion in

their attempts to

escape from the

box. As soon

LETTER XI.

05

as the lid is

opened they raise

themselves up until they

can hook their bills on to the

edge ; and then, assisted by their wings and scrambling with their

claws, they hoist themselves up. When upon the top of the box,

they would be satisfied for a little while, shake themselves, and

dress their feathers. The instinctive love of motion, however,

would soon return, and they go off on a voyage of discovery.

They walk with great caution, keeping their heads down, and
using their bills as walking-sticks, hooking hold of any inequality
to assist themselves along, and keeping themselves up, for they
have a constant tendency to topple over on their faces : they also
are of great service to feel their way, for their sight seemed very
imperfect, and their eyes were generally closed. When informed
by the bill that they are arrived at the edge of the table, the
closed eyes open, and an anxious survey is taken of the depth
below ; and after considerable preparation and thought, the
hazardous leap is taken, and a short flight performed in safety

96

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

to the floor. These little birds seemed to have an irresistible
instinct which led them to attempt to surmount every obstacle
which fell in their way. When walking on the table every book
and desk must be climbed by means of the hooked bill, with the
assistance of claws and pinions. In an angle they would try to
shuffle up with their elbows as chimney-sweeps used to climb up
chimneys ; and when upon the floor I have noticed them striving
for a considerable time to ascend the wall of the room.

On the whole they were very amusing and interesting pets,
and I hoped to have reared them, but they were very sensitive to
cold. One morning I found them both stiff and apparently life-
less, but the fire recovered them. Last Saturday night, however,
was a wintry night ; it hailed, and the north wind blew hard ;
the high hills were covered with snow, and the spirits of the
Stormy Petrels departed amidst the roaring of the equinoctial
storm.

gsi£j£c;

XII.

■*Wv^~

Iona, 26th October- 1852.

I was disappointed to hear of the Petrels arriving in such bad
condition, as I hoped that the post would have taken them quickly
enough to prevent their being spoiled. I got another young one
from the burrows on the 18th of this month at Soay Island. It
is quite free of down in the upper parts, but underneath he still
retains a considerable amount, giving him the appearance of a
bird sitting in a nest of wool. The pale bar across the wing is
very, distinctly marked. He is very active, and can fly perfectly
well. At night his wings are in perpetual motion during his
endeavours to escape from the box in which he is confined — so
much so that he spoils the appearance of his quill feathers and
tail very much ; and so I want to send him off as soon as possible,
though I should like to keep him till he is quite free of down.
I give him a good deal of liberty, allowing him to ramble about
the table the whole evening, the favourite time of activity. His
habits are similar to those of the pair I last described, except

98 THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL.

that he is stronger, and capable of more extended flights. When
let out of his box he performs a curious exercise — putting his
wings into such rapid motion that they cease to be discernible ;
and although he does not rise into the air, yet he becomes so
buoyant that his feet retain no hold of the slippery surface of
the table, so that he goes sliding about, backwards and forwards,
and round and round, in a very ludicrous manner. This comical
minuet generally terminates by his incautiously approaching the
edge of the table, and disappearing suddenly backwards.

If you take him up in your hand he always runs up your arm
with great swiftness, fanning with his wings till he attains your
shoulder or head ; this is in accordance with his instinctive pro-
pensity to scramble up every obstacle he meets, and never to rest
until he has attained the highest elevation within his reach ;
when this is done he rests contented for a short time, and then
throws himself off into the air. I have fed this one almost
exclusively on cod-liver oil, which it takes off the end of a
feather. His ordinary position when at rest is kneeling down,
the tail half-expanded, and the wings very much crossed over
the back. He generally shuffles about upon his knees, and can-
not easily retain his position erect upon his feet without the
assistance of his wings.

I envy you very much the fine engravings that you are pro-
curing. I prefer a really good accurate portrait of a bird to the
finest mounted specimen, and a collection of the first has such
great advantages of portability and durability that I would sooner
possess it than a collection of real specimens. However, this is a
matter of taste, and depends very much whether one remains in a

LETTER XII. 99

permanent house or not. For my part, I do not intend finally to
set up my staff until I have trudged about a little while longer.

As to the quadrupeds of Iona, the list is so short that they
are scarcely worthy of much notice.

The Common Shrew {Sorex araneus1) is found, though not
numerous. I was going to say that Bats never were seen in
Iona, but I recollect on one single occasion, while waiting at a
Pigeon cave, after dusk, seeing a solitary Bat flitting about the
mouth of it. This is the only one I ever saw either in Iona or
in the adjoining part of Mull, though there are numberless dark
caves round these shores. They are very abundant on the main-
land of Argyllshire, in the district called Lorn, opposite to the
Island of Mull.

The Stoat {Mustela erminea) is very common throughout the
island, living in dry stone dykes, or holes under rocks. In one
of these dens, after killing its inmate, I took out the nest which
the little animal had made, consisting of dry grass and seaweed ;
there was also a good collection of small birds' feathers, and four
or five wings of Ringed Dotterels. These must have been caught
when sleeping on the shore. I have frequently seen the tracks of
the Ermine over the wet sand at low-water. I am not aware
whether or not it is common for these animals to take to the
water ; but I had the following anecdote from a humble friend,
who, I believe, could not misrepresent a fact, though he were to
try : — He saw a Stoat watching a flock of young Ducklings

1 More correctly Sorex minutus, which alone occurs in the islands, to the
exclusion of the larger species, which is found on the mainland. Or if the larger
species ever occurs upon the islands, it must be looked upon as the result of
accidental or intentional introduction only. — Ed.

100 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

swimming in a pool, and after some hesitation he plunged in, and
swimming imperceived among them, caught one and brought it
ashore. My friend, the owner of the Ducks, now rushed forward
to resent the liberties taken with his property, not in time to save
the poor Duckling though, as its throat was cut. Accordingly
he threw it in the midden in front of the door (the usual
locality of the dung-heap in the Highlands) ; the robber having
taken refuge among the stones of a dyke. In a short time he
was surprised to see the defunct Duckling moving away, the
persevering little quadruped having watched what was done with
his prize, and actually returned to appropriate it.

The only quadrupeds remaining to be mentioned are the Com-
mon Eabbit, the Long-tailed Field Mouse, the Otter, and the Seal.
As for the last-named, they are so shy and so rarely to be seen
that one can scarcely make any observation upon their habits.1

I must conclude rather abruptly, as the postman will begin to
indulge in profane expressions, as he is waiting at my elbow.

XIII.

Iona, 22nd November 1852.

I have never seen the Little Auk (Mergulus mclanoleucos), so I
suppose it is a frequenter more of the East than of the West
Coast.2 If it ever came near us here, I could not have failed to
have seen or heard of it.

1 For further observations on the Seal, see Letter XXIII.

2 Or rather, perhaps, a frequenter more of the open sea than of the land-
locked firths and straits, — Ep.

LETTER XIII.

101

The Heron (Ardca cinerea) is very abundant in winter.
They are very picturesque birds and form a great addition to a
landscape. They roost, when the tide is full, upon some unfre-
quented rocks, where I have sometimes caught them napping.
They have a very grotesque appearance then ; a muffled up ball
of feathers stuck upon the end of a single long stick ; the head, one

leg, and the bill all put almost entirely out of sight, the bare
extremity of the latter alone protruding from among the long
breast feathers.

Last spring I happened to meet with a Heron among the
rocks at low-water, which had apparently received some hurt, as
he flew off with difficulty and alighted again at a short distance.
When I followed him I saw him gradually sink down into a

II

102 THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL.

sitting posture ; on my nearer approach his neck was also slowly
lowered down, till it lay along the seaweed. As it was a low,
hollow rock on which he lay, he thus rendered himself almost
invisible, and would certainly never have been noticed by any
one who had not kept his eye steadily fixed on the place. When,
however, I came quite close up to him and he saw that he had
not escaped detection, he sprang up and made a successful effort
to fly off.

A Heron may be eaten cold when it has been sufficiently kept.
Though it is not so good as many other sea fowl, I do not see why
we should be more fastidious than our forefathers, who considered
it " a dainty enough dish to set before a king."

The larger Gulls take a special delight in tormenting their
sedate grey friend whenever they catch him soberly traversing
the air, going or returning from his feeding ground. The Gulls
with hoarse cries make repeated swoops, which, frightening the
poor Heron out of his propriety, makes him quickly change the
dignified measured flappings of his great wings for a series of

uncouth somersaults through the
air, by which he tries to escape
their rude attack, at the same
time furiously uttering his
harsh screams, by which
(could we understand the
bird language) he pro-
bably threatens his
assailants with " police pro-
secution and all the terrors of

LETTER XIII. 103

the law ! " This

continues till the Heron alights or is driven + -

far inland, or till the Gulls get tired of the sport.1

I am very sorry to hear of the fate of the Cormorant's egg.
I put it into too frail a box, and the stamping in the post office
must have broken it. I have forwarded another by a private
hand, but it is not such a fine specimen, as it has been a little
scraped. The natural colour of the Cormorant's egg seems to be
a sea-green, but they have a rough coating of a dirty white
substance. This was very remarkable upon the egg I sent you
first. I shot the hen and then took the egg, which was the only
one in the nest. Upon dissecting the bird, I found another egg
just ready for laying of a beautiful pure green colour, with no
white stains on it.

1 Edward, the Aberdeenshire naturalist, gives an animated description of a
successful attack by a Carrion Crow and two Hoodies upon a Heron, for the pur-
pose of making him disgorge the food he was taking to his family {Life of a
Scotch Naturalist, Chap. XIII. p. 272). Perhaps the Gulls also attack him with
the object of plunder. What with the fear of highway robbers by land and
pirates by sea, it must be a difficult matter for the poor Heron to know which way
to take.— H. D. G,

104 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

I tried the edible qualities of a Cormorant's egg, the white of
which (excuse the " bull ") was of a pale emerald-green, and on
the whole I should not recommend it as a delicacy.

I am not so well acquainted with the Black Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax carlo) as with the green (P. graculus), but I have
frequently seen it in the summer with the white patches fully
developed, and I never observed any to possess crests, though
the feathers on the top of the head are very much elongated.
In the Green Cormorant the crest is a most conspicuous ornament,
visible at a great distance, consisting of several hackle-like feathers
two or three inches long, gracefully curving forward. It is gen-
erally only possessed by the fully matured birds during the
breeding season, but even then many birds that are nesting are
without it ; while, on the other hand, I have sometimes seen the
crest quite developed in winter. At this moment I have a fine
skin with a beautiful crest of one which was shot in March.

I forgot, when mentioning our quadrupeds, to notice the fact
of a supposed Greenland Seal having been seen in Loch Scridean,
a long arm of the sea near here. It was in spring that it was
there, and it was several times seen lying upon a rock surrounded
by the sea. A gentleman, who resides in the neighbourhood,
offered a reward of five pounds for its capture, which unfortu-
nately was not effected.

A few days ago I took a little punt up to a large fresh-water
loch, where I had an opportunity of watching some Grebes.
The air was perfectly still, and the surface of the water was like
a sheet of glass. When at a distance from one another the
Grebes called to one another until they met, This cry was a

LETTER XIV. 10o

kind of " Creek ! creek ! creek ! " We chased several, which
escaped just as we made sure of their capture, by disappearing
and appearing no more. One went into a bed of reeds, through
which we forced the boat, and succeeded in frightening him out
into the clear water, but when the boat had got within forty yards
of him, he rose upon the wing with great ease and flew clean off
to the other end of the loch.

XIV.

Iona, 23rd November 1852.

The Black Guillemot (Jlria grylle).

This is a constant resident around our coasts ; in every boating
excursion it may be frequently met with, both in summer and
winter. Perhaps they are rather more numerous in summer, for
then small flocks are to be found clustering around all the more
unfrequented islets, which are haunted by them for the purpose
of incubation. Here during the breeding season they may be
seen in full activity, diving in pursuit of small fry, and flitting
to and fro between their nests and the surface of the water, while
others sit erect, ranged along the rocks overhanging the sea,
gasping out a plaintive wheezing noise, something like the com-
plainings of a set of very young kittens. This seems to be their
only cry, for, except at this time of year, they are entirely mute.

The nests are concealed in all manner of out-of-the-way holes,
under large detached rocks, in deep crevices, or in small caves.

106 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

In general the nest is so far in as to be beyond reach, after the
place of its concealment has been discovered, except with the
assistance of a boat-hook or something similar. I have never
found the number of eggs to exceed two, which have some
resemblance in colour and marking to some of the smaller Gulls'
eggs ; but there is a characteristic peculiarity about their appear-
ance which easily distinguishes them from those.

The young are covered with brownish-black down. They will
greedily take bits of fish from the hand soon after their capture,
and may easily be reared.

The plumage of the old birds at this time of the year is black
with a greenish gloss, or rather a perfect bottle-green, beautifully
relieved by the pure white patch upon the wing, and further
enlivened by the brilliantly red feet. The inside of the mouth
is also of a very rich tint of orange. The birds are not all equally
beautiful. Some, probably the hens and younger males, are of a
dull brownish-black, and the white patch on the wing is obscured.

In winter their appearance is totally changed. They are then
to be seen about the coast a little way out at sea, but seldom
coming very near to land. The variety of plumage to be observed
among different individuals is very great, for scarcely two are to
be seen exactly similar. In the depth of winter the whitest ones
are to be got. These are entirely pure white, except the wings,
which remain black as in summer, and a small portion of grey
upon the back connecting them. "When seen under this aspect
the appellation of Greenland Dove is much more appropriate than
that of Black Guillemot. But it is only a few that acquire this
degree of purity. The upper parts are generally more or less

LETTER XIV. 107

marked with grey, or sometimes black, while the under parts are
mottled with black and white. Some even retain their black
plumage entirely.1 The young birds are blackish-brown above
and white underneath. The upper plumage turns to grey as
winter comes on ; the white patch on the wing is very much
clouded with black spots, and the legs are of a dull brownish-red.

This Guillemot is a very tame bird and easily shot, as it allows
a boat to approach very near before it takes flight. They seldom
attempt to escape by diving, or, if they do, they probably rise
again within shot. They do not rise very easily off the water,
and their feet often come in contact with the crest of a wave
just as they are rising, when, in spite of all their hurry, the round,
plump little fellows are fairly tripped up, and down they come
souse into the water again head foremost.

The Black Guillemot sits on the shore in an erect position ;
but on the floor of a room they do not seem able to walk at all,
for while the Common Guillemot stumps about with great activity
and ease, the other crawls about upon his stomach, pushing him-
self along with his legs and wings without trying to stand up.

I may conclude by remarking that the flesh of the Black
Guillemot is much superior to that of the Common Guillemot and
Razor-bill.

1 We have notes showing that in some other parts of the Northern Isles the
adult Black Guillemots invariably retain the black plumage in winter. — Ed.

XV.

Ion a, 1st December 1852.

Immediately after I had despatched my last letter to you I went
out for a short sail and saw several Black Guillemots in various
states of plumage. I shot the whitest, and on examination it
reminded me of what I had forgotten to remark — namely, that the
tail of this Guillemot, like its wings, does not change colour in
winter, but remains black. This is only the case with the tail
feathers, for the upper and under coverts change colour, getting
tipped with grey or becoming actually white.

I also killed a Great Northern Diver (Cohjmbus glacialis)
weighing between eleven and twelve pounds. The day was very
calm and the water perfectly smooth. My companion and I

LETTER XV. 109

observed a pair of these birds swimming together about two
hundred yards from us, and from two fishing-boats at the same
time, rowing up towards them from the opposite direction. He
accordingly lay quite still. The Divers let the fishing-boat come
within about eighty yards of them and dived with their heads
towards us. Then followed a few seconds of keen excitement,
and the monsters emerged thirty yards the other side of us, having
passed underneath our boat. One dived again the moment it got
its head above water, but the other seemed to be slowly sinking
down in a very curious manner, so that there was nothing appear-
ing but his head when I fired. The splash caused by the shot
subsided and there floated his huge bulk.

We saw several more Great Northern and Black-throated
Divers during this short sail, but had not time to go after them.
They say that the appearance of these birds prognosticates bad
weather. At any rate, it blew a hurricane that night and the
next two days.

As a friend was about going to Glasgow and the weather was
cold, I meant to have sent this Diver to you in the flesh ; but
after keeping it safe for some days, a dog got access to it and bit
off its head. I console myself with the thought that it would
not have kept, as my friend would be a long time on the road.
The head was a great size, nearly as large as the Black Guillemot's
whole body. He was in poor condition and changing his plum-
age. The wings are still spangled with white stars ; but on the
back the plumage is mostly greyish-black, though a good many
of the black feathers, with the double white spot at the extremity,
still remain. It is worthy of notice, as showing the manner in

110 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

which they lose these handsome ornaments, that, as one of us
was stroking his hand along the back of the bird, we observed
several of these white spots drop off like flakes from the feathers
of which they formed a part. It was this peculiarity that made
me wish to forward this specimen, and I think I will yet preserve
the skin of what remains.

XVI.

Iona, 17th December 1852.

I will begin by wishing you a merry Christmas and many happy
returns of this jovial season. Then I will go on to answer one
or two of the inquiries which you made in your last letters,
hitherto neglected by me.

I have made very little progress in my observations as to the
Bridled Guillemot. I only discovered it here last year in the
spring, at which time I obtained two specimens. This summer
I was very little in the way of looking after any birds at all ; how-
ever, in autumn I shot " a this year's bird," in which the white
mark about the eye was distinctly marked. On every one of
these occasions they were procured along with a lot of Common
Guillemots, from which it was impossible to distinguish them
till actually taken into the boat. On procuring the first one,
being anxious to record the fact of its having been captured on

LETTER XVI.

Ill

these coasts, we sent the head to Mr Fenton, a bird-stuffer in
Edinburgh. The answer he returned contained a brief note from
Mr Selby, pronouncing it as " that unfrequent bird the Bridled
Guillemot."

You recollect alluding to the disappearance of the young
birds from the localities where the breeding goes on, especially

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: $7i4-r

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upon the East Coast, where it is remarked that so few of the
immature birds remain. This does not seem to be the case on
our shores. Here the proportion of immature birds is very much
what you would expect it to be. One thing is to be observed,
however, that the young birds are infinitely more easy of approach
than the old ones, whose cunning and suspicion increase in pro-
portion to their maturity and beauty of plumage. As from a

112

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

gastronomic point of view the young ones are preferable to the
old, and as they are so much more easily procured, he who shoots
for the " pot," without any regard for the skins, will always have
a very large proportion of the young birds among his game. The

C\(^ $' ^OVO^

young ones, therefore, obtrude themselves so much more upon
one's notice than the fine old full-dressed ones, that (here at
least) one would be led to suppose that their number prepon-
derated.

In autumn, when the Curlews and Herons return from their

LETTER XVI.

113

breeding stations, the juveniles fall an easy prey owing to the
confiding simplicity of their youth. These, of course, are easily
distinguished by their smaller size and dull plumage. The same
is the case with other birds which breed upon the spot, such as
Sea-pyets, Pigeons, Gulls, Scarts, &c. In winter the number
of Gulls in their dark-brown plumage is decidedly much greater
than that of the old white ones. This applies to the small and
large species. It is very remarkable in the case of Gulls how
much less sensible of danger these immature birds are than the
elders of the flocks ; the latter will not generally allow themselves
to be approached openly without taking wing, and in their flight
they usually alter their course to avoid danger ; but the younger
members are quite heedless of danger. The Herring Gull is the
commonest of the larger birds, though the Black Backs are
numerous too. Nearly all the Cormorants that are killed during
the winter are birds of the year ; but this letter is too near its
conclusion to begin to treat of Scarts, so I will leave them till
another opportunity.

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XVII.

Iona, 27 th January 1853.

For many weeks the weather has been so boisterous and wet
as to be very unfavourable for out-of-door recreations of any
kind, shooting among the rest. These very violent gales sweep
away the birds from our island to the better shelter afforded by
the mainland ; consequently I find game very scarce at present.
The continual open soft weather and absence of frost is still more
unfavourable, and the Ducks, Geese, Plover, &c, seem little
inclined to direct annual pilgrimages towards Columba's sacred
shores.

Some of the late gales have been exceedingly grand. The
dreadful fury of the wind is not to be described. The sea, run-
ning mountains high, threatens to overwhelm the island with its
roaring breakers. The very granite cliffs seem to tremble under
the ponderous strokes of these liquid mountains, as they come
rolling on, crashing into foam, and yeast, and hissing spray with
hideous din, filling the air with thick salt vapour, which, caught
up by the blast, is borne away far inland in dense wreathing
columns, like the smoke from a battlefield. This is truly the war
of elements. Ocean, contending for dominion over terra firm a,
pours forth, rank upon rank, its innumerable host of high-bounding
white-maned chargers. See the turmoil, the furious strife, the
maddening confusion ! Hear the hoarse shoutings of the leaders !
The hurricane sounds on the charge. The hail pours down its

LETTER XVII. 115

rattling volleys of icy shafts. Heaven waves its sable banners
overhead, and lets loose its dread artillery. The island shakes.
Its deep-rooted bastions of adamant tremble at the shock of the
fierce assaults of the raging billows ; but in vain. Thus far shalt
thou come and no farthur, and here shall thy proud waves be
stayed. And beaten, broken, dashed in pieces, and churned into
foam, they successively roll murmuring back submissive to the
eternal decree.

Iona in winter is very favourable for those who love to see
nature in its sublime moods. A storm in a peopled district is
not seen to such advantage. Shattered chimney-pots, swinging
shutters, inverted umbrellas, &c, are not picturesque subjects.
The bleak storm-swept hill, the naked granite rock, and stunted
heather tufts are in keeping with the fury of the storm, which
roars and bellows over its undisputed dominions. The first is
like an over-driven ox creating a clatter in a china shop. The
latter is like the lord of the herd careering over his native plains.
There are not even trees in these islands, and therefore, as Dr
Johnson remarks, " all the noise of the storm is entirely its own."

The Black and the White Puffins that you mentioned as being
at the museum are a most astounding phenomenon. I have
never seen any peculiarly coloured bird, except a Rock Pipit, which
I picked up dead on a small island. It was nearly white or
cream-coloured. Our talented proprietor, the Duke of Argyll,
who is also an ornithologist, saw it when visiting the island, and
at once mistook it for a Canary bird.

The Woodcock is not numerous here, on account of the want
of proper cover ; but it breeds on the opposite coast of Mull.

110

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

At the beginning of the winter we had a great number of
Fieldfares about the hilly sheep pastures. This is quite an
unusual bird here. I never saw it here before. Is the Fieldfare

known to breed in this country ?

Last spring a youthful com- ^LjlJ&- J*&m. °- ^f^0^

panion of mine was visiting some friends a few miles from here,
and was invited to look at a nest in the garden belonging to an
unknown bird. He went, and at once recognised a pair of Field-
fares. I examined and cross-questioned my young friend on the

LETTER XVII. 117

subject, and I cannot help feeling satisfied that he was not mis-
taken, as he is well acquainted with all our birds, possesses the
visual powers of the hawk tribe, and is a disciple whose develop-
ment of the sporting faculties bids fair to surpass those of his
patron.

I am obliged to E. K. B. for his corroboration of my state-
ments concerning the friendly terms on which the Choughs live with
the Jackdaws, and in return bear full witness to the truth and
correctness of his description of the grief of the survivor when
one of a pair of Choughs is killed. Three times I have had
occasion to shoot at a Chough, and each time I was obliged to
shoot at its mate also, partly out of pity for her grief and also
because I felt rather ashamed of myself, as she kept close to me,
filling the air with her noisy lamentations and execrations of my
cruelty, impelling me to repeat the deed of blood. If it has
been observed sometimes that the Chough disappears at the same
time as the Jackdaw begins to increase in numbers, may not
this be owing to some change in the character of the locality,
such as extensive agricultural operations and increased population,
which may have the effect of disgusting one bird while it
attracts the other ? Thus, I certainly am of opinion that free
trade and opening the ports has brought the Eooks to Iona !
Why, what connection is there between political questions and
ornithology ? Eooks indeed ! Why, free trade, &c, only affects
the farmers, not the " parsons." Well, I'll tell you. Since the ports
were opened to the importation of foreign cattle, the rearing of
black cattle has been almost abandoned in these parts of the
Highlands ; consequently sheep have taken their place, and in

I

118 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

lona, where two years ago you would hardly find a sheep, now
you will see scores of them ; and when, two years ago, not a Rook
ever came to the island, now the hill pastures are black with
them.

Possibly the Jackdaws may steal the Chough's eggs. Some
bird had evidently anticipated me this spring in my visit to the
Eed Leg's nest ; however, I suspect the Hoody Crow more than
the Daw, for he is an arrant egg thief. About that very time I
witnessed a controversy between a pair of Sea-pyets and a Hoody
on this very subject. It terminated decidedly in favour of the
latter, as he flew off with the apple — no, the egg — of discord im-
paled on his bill, followed by the frantic shrieks of the two poor
Oyster-catchers. Peep ! peep ! peep ! The Hoody Crow's mouth
was too full to make a rejoinder.

As to the tanieness or wildness of different species of birds,
though certainly some species are instinctively much wilder than
others, yet the degree must be so very much modified by the treat-
ment they receive in various localities that it scarcely admits of
generalisation. Thus, to return to my friends the Eooks, where
they are persecuted by the farmer owing to mistaken notions of
their being injurious, they become so wary that it is impossible
to get within range of them ; while here in lona, where we have
rather patronised them on account of their being strangers, we
have so far won their confidence that they actually come to pick
up crumbs and potatoes thrown from our windows. And so, of
course, with every other kind of bird.

XVIII.

Iona, 20 th February 1853.

I keg-ret to think that the correspondence that we have so
agreeably kept up for the last year and upwards must soon
meet with a check. I propose leaving Iona for London, and
have a very great inclination to go out to Canada for a visit, or
perhaps for a permanent residence. I have already visited
Lower Canada and been along the coast as far north as Labrador,
and still further in a southern direction. In fact, I can say that
I have killed White Egrets in the West Indian Islands, Pelicans
at Port Eoyal, and Boobies at the Bahamas ; but at that time,
alas ! I let pass glorious opportunities of ornithologising. On this
occasion the case will be very different, for I look forward with
delightful anticipations to the prospect of killing, to me, new
races of birds, or the still greater pleasure of occasionally hailing
an old friend — such, for instance, as the Great Northern Diver,
which seems to be identical on both sides of the Atlantic.
Certainly, in future, wherever the locality in which I am cast,
there shall I carry with me a love for Natural History, which
will always furnish me with a most agreeable recreation, a solace,
a retirement, a refuge always open to fly to from the accidents or
annoyances of life.

At the present day Ornithology takes its place as a respectable
science, and especially as a popular and pleasing one. Blackwood
remarks : — " We remember the time when the very word
Ornithology would have required interpretation in mixed com-

120 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

pany, and when a naturalist was looked on as a sort of out-of-
the-way but amiable monster." Happily the case is very different
at the present day. Nature is more esteemed in this generation.
Some grave author makes the remark that in the time of our
youth we ought to acquire and lay up as great a quantity as
possible of material for agreeable meditation in our old age.
What, then, can serve this purpose more durably than the study
of Nature ?

Naturalists are generally noted for length of days, for con-
tinuing their pursuits with unabating zest till the very last, and
for a spirit of piety, which is naturally induced by looking
through Nature up to Nature's God.

The day of my departure is not, nor is likely to be, accurately
determined on as yet ; for primarily it will depend upon the
weather, and secondarily on when I feel in the vein for getting
under weigh.

Remarks in allusion to the state of the weather form such a
considerable item in the small-talk of every Briton that foreigners,
blessed with a more equable climate, sometimes ridicule us for it.
In Iona, however, the weather is a matter of such important
interest that it is not a mere conventional salutation to remark
upon it ; for the business of the day, and even the outgoing of
the post, is decided most arbitrarily by the capricious elements,
the wind, the weather, and the tide.

Since the 7th of this month we have had a remarkable and
unusual frost, both for intenseness and duration, accompanied, for
the most part of the time, with blustering gales from the north
and north-east, which, in spite of the bright sun shining in a

LETTER XVIII. 121

cloudless sky, pierce to the very bone and shrivel up and benumb
the flesh. It brought nothing very unusual, except some "Wood-
cocks, Eed wings, Fieldfares, and Golden Plovers, which do not
frequent our island except in such cases of emergency ; and surely
now they seem very humbled and subdued ! The Golden Plovers
were in great number and excessively tame. On their first
arrival the flocks would allow themselves to be shot at more
than once before they would even fly off a short distance ; and
latterly, though more wary, yet I crawled within arm's length of
them. They are nearly all more or less mottled underneath with
black.

I have to thank you and my Glasgow friends once more for
your obliging opinion of my communications, which is more than
they are entitled to, as they are simply the daily thoughts which
occupy my mind when wandering along the hill- side, or floating
in solitude upon the blue water. If at such times I had the
means of putting them immediately on paper, I am sure they
would be much fresher and better worth keeping. But while
dipping the feathering oar with one hand into the briny element,
I doubt the possibility of keeping the goose feather dipping with
the other hand into the inky fluid. This reminds me of a sapient
remark from a London tailor. Last summer I took some home-
woven tartan to be fashioned into habiliments by a Metropolitan
artist. " You observe this cloth," said I, " is entirely made by
the hand-looms of the common fishermen of Iona." " Oh, indeed,
sir ! Ah, yes, I suppose they take their looms out with them in
their boats, along with them, to work while they are fishing."

It will not be very long before the " season " commences again,

122

THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL.

as here is March begun, and the winter actually past, before we
were aware of its having more than just set in. I begin to
observe that every successive year passes quicker and quicker
than its predecessor. They used to go something cannie-like, but
now they go by steam, and threaten as one advances in years to
outstrip even this, revolving, like the fly-wheel of a high-pressure

■^■JU^f

Q^°*

engine, round and round with dizzying velocity, flying with
increase of impetus at every turn ; or bounding like a mill-stone
down a steep brae-side, and leaving as little trace of their course
— till the crisis comes — the boiler bursts, the engine sticks at
" dead-point," and the mill-stone plunges with a splash into the
black tarn, and is seen no more.

LETTER XVIII. 123

The only objection to rural retired life is that from its
monotony the time slips along too smoothly and unperceived.
Old Chronos seems to be jogging round the hour-hand of his dial
with his finger and cheating us out of our minutes ; shaking the
sand through his glass, or " flogging " it, as is done at sea — that is,
whipping it round in legerdemain style before the last grains have
fully run out, which has the double advantage of shortening the
current hour and of giving the new one a fair start in life, the
united effect of which brings the sleepy-headed watch on deck so
much the nearer to their snug moorings in " blanket bay," the
haven where they would be. When I apply the word " monoton-
ous " to country life, it is not my intention to imply anything like
ennui. No, far from it ! Each season in its turn brings con-
stantly varying scenes and entertainments, each day brings its
own duties and occupations, and each morning we rise with
refreshed zeal to the cheerful labours of the day, and renewed zest
to its sober delights. Still, though we travel through a fertile
and pleasant land, yet the slight undulations over which we pass
are so uniform in appearance, and so unvaried in direction and
general regularity of outline, that we skim along in a delightful,
dreamy, contemplative mood, till — rat, tat ! — we go over some
accidental rut and are shaken into sudden consciousness that we
are just passing the thirtieth, fortieth, or fiftieth mile-stone upon
our journey of three-score miles and ten, and are quite surprised
at the killing pace at which we are going.

The old exemplification of this matter is the comparison between
the apparent lengths of a measured mile on the lone highway
and one through the streets of a city. But there is another, very

124 THE BIUDS OF IONA AND MULL.

intelligible to a sportsman, and which has often struck me.
Measure oft1 exactly 50 yards in the garden, or before the house,
across flower-bed and gravel walk ; it looks a " stunning long
shot." Step off the same on the bare hill-side — it looks like
nothing ; while upon the still smoother surface of the sea it
looks less (excuse the Hibernicism) ; and one not accustomed to a
boat bangs away at birds out of shot, wondering he does not hit
them. Talk of sermons in stones ! Here is a moral in a
measuring tape — namely, that the marked and varied life of
one who " knocks about " in the world seems of much greater
length than the same short span of one, like the Vicar of Wake-
field, whose whole adventures were those of the fireside, and
whose only migrations were from the blue bed to the brown.

Enough of secular subjects — now to the divine study of birds!
And let us begin with the sacred bird of Eome, the noble Goose.

A little book called Rural Economy, among many excellent
directions about the management of beast and bird, contains this
shocking statement : " A breeding stock consists of five geese and
a gander." All the blood in my body rushes to my face, threaten-
ing an immediate attack of apoplexy, as I repeat it ; but I cannot
hold my peace and hear my worthy friend traduced and calum-
niated. The Gander accused of polygamy ! Our best friend at
bed and board ; ever a warm and yielding one at the former, and
the glory of the latter — where, if not exactly the friend of our
bosom, he is at least that of an adjoining region. Besides all which,
he is concerned in the writing of everything ever written that
is worth reading — excepting what was inscribed by the antique
stylus, or is scrawled with a crow-quill in delicate angular

LETTER XVIII. 125

hand, as if a fly had dipped its legs in ink and then polkaed
over the pink satin paper till they were dry. As for the iron
pens of modern days, we leave them to the dun and the tax-
gatherer, to scratch their noxious circulars in characters of gall
and vinegar.

To hear this concentration of all that is valuable, amiable, and
lovely, stigmatised — branded as a polygamist ! This scandalous
outrage on his domestic character makes all the down of his head
to stand on end ; and he puts into my hand the primest of his
wing primaries, to write and beg of you and his Glasgow friends
to do him justice. He can hardly be acquitted by a jury of his
peers ; as, besides their being themselves implicated in the case,
their dictum would not have sufficient weight with the public, on
account of the vulgar prejudice entertained as to their intellectual
faculties. Is he like the gallant, gay Lothario, who struts before
his harem of douce, brown-coated wives, or yet like his com-
patriot of the " Guse-dub," the domesticated and demoralised
Drake ? No ; he is the most constant, the most domestic of all
domestic fowl. If the sole choice of his heart happens to be
lying in the straw, how constant is his attendance at the entrance
of the nest ! In tender cacklings he diverts her confinement
with the latest gossip of the barn-yard, or with contemplation of
that bright day when from the lifeless-looking eggs shall burst
forth a beautiful family of downy goslings. How valiantly he
defends the nest from insult ! But the height of all his happi-
ness is reached if he be allowed to sit upon it himself, if only for
a minute or two. Then, when the delighted father first sees his
brood, immoderate is his joy ; with loud cries and outstretched

126 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

wings he goes through the ceremony of kissing successively each
one of his sallow young ones with open bill ; and so boisterous
is this outburst of his paternal emotions that it is sometimes
dangerous to the safety of the objects of it. However, when
this danger is past he becomes the vigilant defender and
guardian ; and, should the mamma have suffered from the
protracted duties of incubation, he willingly condescends to
be the tender nurse. Then his social virtues ! Some time ago
one of our geese got one of its legs broken. I carefully set
it with splints and bandages, and then the invalid was put
into an outhouse, where she lay in a hamper — perfect rest
being strictly enjoined. Every morning after this the other
geese came, and, stopping under the window for a little while
when on their way to the green, inquired in gabbling accents
after the health of the invalid, who replied in the same language,
" As well as could be expected ; " " Passed a better night than
usual," &c. ; upon which off they marched, satisfied with the
bulletin. This continued till she recovered, when she returned
to the flock, who received her with open arms — or rather wings
— and noisy acclamations, showing their recognition of her ; for,
of course, a stranger would have been driven off. I will say
no more, though much remains unsaid, but conclude with the
bold avowal that I am a friend to the Goose. Yes, I love the
Goose. And so the matter ends - — unless any witless knave
takes me up with some of the time-honoured but abusive jests
in connection with the dear bird. If so, I shall know him to
be but some shallow fellow who could not so much as say
" Bo ! " to a Goose.

LETTER XVIII. 127

Feeling conscious of having passed the Rubicon one half ounce,
I may as well carry on till I expend myself, as it is fated that
the revenue shall be augmented by a supplementary penny. What
must be, must. Pray bear with me. These are written by candle-
light, and with the assistance of a pipe of the blessed weed " that
cheers but does not inebriate." I hope the reader may be in an
equally auspicious mood.

The long-promised note upon the Cormorant is at my pen's
point, but it must be again deferred for fear of your patience
giving way — " Frien's are like fiddle-strings ; they maunna be o'er
straitchit,1 or they crack " — but I will send it by an early post.

My departure I have postponed, not for a day or two, but
for a bold stretch of three weeks.

During some severe weather last week a party of five Swans
paid us a visit of a few days. Unfortunately a bungler succeeded
in making them very timid and wary, so that one of the
islanders and myself only succeeded in wounding one, which
escaped across the Sound and fell into the hands of some ruthless
barbarians, who immediately, like so many hungry ogres, fell upon
it, plucked and eat it. All I recovered from them was the head
and the legs, which were too indigestible for even their rapacious
maws. I have taken a life-size drawing of the head ; it is as
large as that of a cat. The feet I have added to my collection
of " spogs " (Angliti, paws) of web-footed birds. They are easily
prepared by nailing them to a board with pins, when they soon
dry, retaining the open position you wish them to have ; then

1 Straightened, stretched. Strait, to straighten ; straict, a narrow pass ;
straitit, constrained. — Ed.

128

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

0 "ee '■

3/acfr

Cormorant

Cormorant

LETTER XVIII. 129

put a little sealing-wax where the joint was ; cut, and rub them
over with varnish ; and they make rather an amusing collection.
What a contrast between these Swans' huge splay feet and the
Petrel's delicate little paddles, or the Tern's minute red slippers !
Mould a pair of Cormorant's feet round a wooden peg to show
how adapted they are for perching. Let one of the loon's feet
dry in the position of being drawn forward, when it collapses into
a mere knife blade, as a contrast to a foot giving the impelling
stroke, which expands to the size of a mason's trowel.

I shall be very much interested to hear of the success of your
researches after the Bridled Guillemot {Uria lachrymans). It is
always described as having the white rim round the eye, extending
backwards down the neck, which is exactly the description of the
three specimens that I have seen here. But in some books I see it
mentioned that " there is a variety of Uria troile, on the coast of
Wales and elsewhere, having a white line between the eye and
the bill, like the Eazor-bill." Is this a variety or a third distinct
species ? It is not usual for Xature to play such pranks among
wild birds, where a variety is a lusus naturae of rare occurrence.
However this may be, I shall not bridle my tongue in defence of
his individuality, even should your looked-for essay on the subject
pronounce his non-existence. As a doughty controversialist once
said when getting the worst of an argument, " You may convince
me, but I won't believe it." So shall I be like a sturdy Saxon,
whose boast is that even when he is beaten he is not aware of it,
and with colours nailed to the mast, whether we sink or swim,
to the last gasp my cry is, " Uria lacrymans and no surrender ! "
On all other points I am your obedient friend.

XIX.

Ion a, 9 th April 1853.

The day I had fixed for my departure was so stormy and
unpleasant that I put it off for another week. I send with this
a practical commentary on the Cormorant, which you will perhaps

think rather rambling, but as it

\1

I

(rr~ry~~B-<'

is the concluding letter of this -ur^^

series of our Ionian correspondence, I trust it will be looked

upon with lenity.

Last year there came under my observation a curious accident
which had happened to a Cormorant, and is perhaps worth
mentioning. The bird was shot by an old fisherman, and I saw

LETTER XIX.

131

it

it immediately after it was brought ashore. It had a remarkable
white mark round the neck, which, on examination, we found to
be a perforated clam shell, forming a necklace or collar. There
are great quantities of limpet and bivalve shells cast on the sandy
beaches, many with a hole worn through the centre by the con-
stant friction and tossing about by the wash of the waves. Ir
was probably while pursuing the
small flounders near the
bottom of one of these
sandy bays that the /

poor bird chanced to f

run its head into the
noose. The shell had

worked its way down

i j
to the shoulder, where )

it seemed, from the
marked and frayed ap-
pearance of the feathers, to
have been a considerable time.
It fitted so accurately that when I
drew it off the head would barely go through. The bird was fat,
though he must have been prevented from swallowing any but very
small fish, for he could not distend his throat. He had probably
become reconciled to his misfortune, and only hunted for small
game. I will present you with the identical collar. I would
have kept the skin had it not been so cruelly mangled by a heavy
charge of "No. 1," fired over the rock from a grim, rusty old
three-foot-in-the-barrel, equally dangerous to " firer " and " firee."

132 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

It is wonderful what work is done with such antique-looking
tools as these, even, as I have sometimes seen, when fired off by
a fiery peat applied to the touch-hole. The old man holds the
gun, and one of the bairns applies the match, and picks up the
game — if there is any ; as for the gunner, he is lying flat on his
back, with both eyes filled with red-hot peat dust.

M'Gillivray describes the Sea Eagle as often spending his
leisure hours in floating upon the waves.1 It must be a singular
and striking sight to see a bird of this description upon the water.
The only terrestrial bird I ever saw willingly take to the sea was
the Sea Pyet or Oyster-catcher. I once saw a large flock pitch
down upon the water and remain swimming for some considerable
space of time. It was in a spot where the water was literally
alive with young Saithe or Coal-fish — a semi-fluid mass—" a
brochan2 of cuddies," as the natives express it, which probably
invited the birds to perform this natatorial feat.

The Sea Pyet, when wounded, not only swims with ease, but
if pressed dives with great activity, rendering it no easy task to
capture it, even with a boat. I once caught a young unfledged
Sea Pyet, and placed him in the boat. He instantly jumped out.
I thought the dissolute young rascal had committed suicide ; but

1 The Editor can remember no such statement of M'Gillivray's ; and our
author rightly remarks that such a proceeding oil the part of a Sea Eagle must
be a " singular and striking sight."

2 In order that to the mind of a Sassenach the simile may seem fitting, we
give Jamieson's translation of the word brochan — viz. : " Oatmeal boiled to a con-
sistence somewhat thicker than gruel ; " and to explain that, to be true to the
native's acceptation of the said simile, the brochan should not be " off the boil."
We may further endeavour to enlighten the uninitiated by stating, what may
not be generally known south of the Gates of the Highlands, that "cuddies" is a
word of Scandinavian origin, not applied there to bi'ainless men, but to juvenescent
specimens of Saithe or Coal-fish. — Ed.

LETTER XIX.

133

looking through the clear green water, I was relieved to see my
young friend leisurely walking about the sandy bottom, as if he
had no immediate intention of revisiting the upper regions of air,
and evidently quite at ease, though it must have been his first
taste of salt water.

I have two or three times seen the Oyster-catcher in a rather
unusual position — namely, on a newly -ploughed field, as if
searching for worms.1

^^i^^M^^

Certainly, the land was liberally covered
with a layer of seaweed, which is extensively, almost exclusively,

1 A habit common enough along the big rivers of the East of Scotland, but
rarer in the West. — Ed.

K

134 THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL.

used as manure here, so that the misguided birds might not
have been aware that they were committing a trespass, supposing
they were still within the sacred bounds of " below high water
mark," the property of great and small, that rich estate formed by
Waders of high and low degree.

All the Wading birds take boldly to the water when wounded
and their retreat is cut off by land, but none so readily as the
Oyster-catcher.

An Oyster-catcher — as if you had to run after an oyster to
catch it ! What an excitinsr race !

XX.

The Cormorants,

Here commonly called the Scart, which, like much of the Low
Country Scotch dialect, is a corruption of the Gaelic word
Scarbh.

It is abundantly distributed along our shores and over the
surface of our seas. Both the Great Black Cormorant (Phala-
crocorax carlo) and the Lesser Green -crested Cormorant (P.
graculus) are found ; though the latter is the more plentiful of
the two.

The caves of Staffa and of the neighbouring islets are
exclusively peopled by this kind ; while beneath the stupendous
cliffs of Bury and Gribun on the mainland of Mull the Black
Cormorant is found in great numbers, nesting and roosting

LETTER XX.

135

among the wave-worn cliffs. The habits

of the two species seem to be

very similar, and I am

not aware of any reason

for their thus selecting

these separate localities.

At a distance the Black
Cormorant is easily dis-
tinguished by the marked
white patches on the
cheeks and thighs, which
contrast very conspicuously with the rest of its black plumage.
The Green Cormorant, on the contrary, has no break in the

136 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

sombre tint of its sad-coloured livery, with the exception of
the bright yellow skin upon the face, which is, however, sufficient
to betray the bird when sitting — otherwise quite invisible —
upon the high ledges in the twilight obscurity of its cave.

The crest is another distinction between the two races, though
in itself an uncertain criterion ; for, while the black bird often
has the crest partially developed, the green-crested one is not
always thus ornamented, even in birds actually shot on the
nest in the height of the breeding season ; though in winter, on
the other hand, I have once or twice obtained individuals
with a splendid long " queue." Nevertheless, it must in general
be regarded as a nuptial ornament, and a very graceful one,
of the adult Green -crested Cormorant, when attired in his
rich and beautiful wedding garment of summer.

The immature Black Cormorant takes more than one season
to attain its full bulk, and its plumage in the meantime is a
dull black above and a greyish-brown mixture beneath ; but
the young Green Cormorant is clad in an entire neat suit
of dark bottle green, from the very commencement of its
career after leaving the nest.1 Another distinction may be
observed in the eyes ; those of the last mentioned species are
of a brilliant clear green, like lustrous emeralds, while the
irides of the other are simply grey or brown.

Many people feel a sort of aversion to the Cormorant as a
kind of " unclean bird." It certainly has an ugly name for

1 There is some misapprehension here, as the Green Cormorant does not
attain to its full green and adult plumage quite so suddenly as indicated by our
author. —Ed.

LETTER XX.

137

greed and gluttony. Milton supposes Satan to have entered
its form before assuming that of a serpent.

" Thence up he flew, and on the tree of life,
The middle tree, and highest there that grew,
Sat like a cormorant."

Indeed, the sepulchral gloom of its dark, dank abode, its sombre
plumage, melancholy aspect, its silence, but rarely broken, and
then only by a sad foreboding croak, might all join to inspire a

■^uu^-1©" As^ y

sort of prejudice against the poor bird, independently of his rather
dirty habits. And truly his cave does not smell savoury ; and even
from the rock out in the open sea, where groups of these grave-
looking citizens of the deep sit and rest themselves on their return
from the fishery business, when approached to leeward, a breeze
is borne down upon us very unlike what is wafted off the balmy
Spice Islands, but rather such as we might expect from a city of
Esquimaux when holding high wassail in brimming beakers
tapped from a stranded whale.

138 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

But, after all, this bird will be found to be as beautiful a work
as any that Nature has turned of hand. Its shape and long neck
are far from inelegant. See it dive ! How gracefully it springs
clean out of the water, throws a somersault in the air, and dis-
appears head foremost into the blue depths ! Then the lovely
plumage of the Green Cormorant — a mixture of green and gold,
like the most gorgeous shot silk raiment, traversed by delicate
bands of rich velvet. Its beak is of gold, and its eyes living
emeralds. He also bears a plume upon his head as a mark of his
nobility.

From this high cliff we look down upon the vast heavers of
the angered ocean, as they come rolling in with mighty sweep
and hurl themselves upon the iron-bound shore. All around is
milk-white foam and dreadful agitation. There, in the very midst
of this, what Byron would term " hell-broth," floats a black speck.
That is the Cormorant following its sport, where the stoutest
work of man's hand would be as a toy, where all his skill and
inventions could not gain a minute of life. Here comes a huge
wave ; its white crest already begins to curl over its swelling
bosom with a crashing sound ; now it gets steeper and steeper as
it rolls onward, till it rears up like a high green cliff overshadowing
a horrid abyss beneath. At the critical moment down goes the
Scart, and when the danger has gone past and the hurly-burly
has subsided, up he springs again into day, unconcernedly dis-
cussing a nice fresh young cod, which he had caught while taking
refuge in the bosom of the Great Mother.

This plea for the Cormorant reminds me of a reply made by
a worthy old friend, who for half a century has ruled the glens

LETTER XX. 139

of Mull with his ramrod — " All God's works are lovely ; every
beast and every bird is bonniest of its kind. 'Deed, sir, and the
Hoodie Craw hersel' is a pratty, pratty beast, if it were na that
she's just vcr — min."

Ah ! and if we catch a Scart, is he not capable of being dis-
cussed in another way ? Indeed he is.

Keep a sufficiently long time, skin off his jacket, and make
him into soup. It requires a couple to make it good, and then I
defy the Court of Common Council or a jury of aldermen to detect
the difference between it and the finest hare soup. A curry does
indifferently well ; and the liver, which is of a large size, is as
good as that of the Goose.1

Having decided the gastronomic value of our friend, let us
consider the ways and means of obtaining a few individuals to
garnish our larder withal.

In winter, especially when stormy, we shall see them fishing
at half tide close along the rocks and in the shallow sandy bays.
They are wary ; and, diving, they take care to get a good offing if
they see the least danger. But it is nice practice to stalk one,
running from one hiding-place to another, while the bird is below
water, till we succeed in attaining a rock that is within reach of
him. As he emerges from the water he turns about his head in
search of anything suspicious, and carefully examines the shore
before he will dive again, lest it conceal a lurking foe. In good
weather it is more amusing to follow our game upon its own
element. We should approach the swimming bird to windward,

1 We can testify to the truth of the remark hy our author regarding the
similarity of scart soup to hare soup. Vide also p. 262. — Ed.

140 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

for he prefers rising against the
wind. In calm weather, if well gorged with fish, he cannot rise
without the help of the breeze under his wings. When he sees
his retreat cut off in this direction, he swims about in evident
perplexity, and often allows the boat to come within fatal distance.
Their quickness in knowing their enemies is very amusing.
A heavy, lumbering fishing-boat is allowed to pass close by, while
the quiet, insidious approach of the small gun-bearing skiff is
suspected and fled from. At first they take short dives ; but if,
thoroughly alarmed, they begin racing — that is, diving and swim-
ming determinedly away — it is then almost useless to attempt to
overtake them. When a bird sees it is no longer pursued, after
rising to the surface, he flaps his wings, then expands them for a
moment till he feels the breeze, and with laborious strokes rises
off the water. These, as well as other sea birds, always try to
get to windward by crossing the bows of a boat coming under

LETTER XX.

141

sail, and they generally escape by getting the weather gauge, either
by the boat being unable to get up to them, or, at worst, they can
readily take flight up the wind when danger becomes pressing.

There are certain rocks very much frequented by the Cormor-
ants, where they rest and bask in the sun, often with wings
outspread, " hanging out to dry." Here they often sit motionless
for hours, quite erect, looking exactly like rows of gigantic black
bottles set out for a soiree of Fingalians, the gigantic heroes who
built up the columns of Staffa for their banqueting hall, when
" the song and the shell went round."

As the boat draws nearer, signs of uneasiness begin to appear —
awakening yawns, stretching of wings and waddlings to the over-
hanging edge of the rock ; all the long necks are twisting about
in active motion, as if the prudent creatures were trying to
thoroughly " see their way clear " before taking a leap. Crack !
goes a cartridge at sixty yards, when down go the black gentry,
tumbling and rolling head over heels down the face of the rock,
and disappear into the water.
You think you have
murdered the whole
gang; but wait a
second, and
then they all
come merrily

bobbins

up

to

the surface, a forest

142

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

of black necks swimming away to windward. A few are within
reach, and — piff, puff! — shoot 'em down is the word — no quarter
given to them now.

Lastly, we may visit one of the caves, as the swell of the
Atlantic has sunk into a calm slumber, and will allow us to
venture into it without danger to the boat. At the first alarm
a string of birds pours forth, almost into our faces ; still many
remain sitting on the high shelters, even though we enter the
cave and re-fire repeatedly, creating a most dreadful din and
bringing down splinters of the rock from the lofty vaulted roof.

LETTER XX. 143

If the young " Scartlings " are hatched, they keep up a perpetual
clamour very different from their taciturn parents ; the report of
the gun frequently brings one toppling over the edge of its coarse
sea-tangle nest — a most ungainly-looking youngster. If we like
to wait here till evening, we might get almost any number of
birds, as they come flying home at sunset, for the Cormorant
keeps early hours and retires to rest with the sun. But we are
contented with what we have done and will now stay our hand
from slaughter.

The Cormorant is very tenacious of life. When winged, he
seems to recover new life as soon as he strikes the water, and
escapes by diving. When wounded, they sometimes disappear in
a mysterious manner, though there are plenty of quick eyes in the
boat, and all around is as smooth as a polished mirror. Yet the
wounded bird is not to be seen, and is believed by the boatmen
to have gone to the bottom — to remain there, out of spite.

Some time ago I heard of a party of fishermen visiting a
Scarfs cave by night. A fire being lighted, the poor birds came
fluttering down from their roosts, and were killed with sticks.
However, in the midst of the confusion — smoke, darkness, flapping
wings, and whirring of revolving shillelahs — an unfortunate
fellow was mistaken by a comrade for a gigantic Phalocrocorax.
The sharp crack of a broken skull was heard, instead of the dull
thud of smitten feathers, and the victim was taken home in the
bottom of the boat as insensible as the bed of dead Cormorants
on which he lay.

Had the accident terminated fatally the coroner's verdict would
have been " Served him right ; " but the Highlander's cranium

144

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

was not particularly damaged, though the shillelah was con-
siderably injured by the collision.

The Cormorant generally Hies low along the surface of the
water to and from its fishing ground ; though sometimes when
making a long passage, especially in windy weather, it soars up
to a very great height. Occasionally, in a perfect calm, when the
sea is as smooth as if solidified into crystal, a bird may be seen
drying his wings without leaving the water ; he sits erect in the
sea, floating about for half an hour at a time with his wings
spread in the air, presenting a curious appearance.

Ajk

XXI.

Ardrishaig, 2±th February 1860.

It gave me very great pleasure to receive your letter. It
recalled to my memory the pleasant correspondence we had years
ago. I have been always proposing either to write to you or to
call next time I should be in Glasgow ; but alas ! the causeway
paved with good intentions leads to — nothing, as it turned out in
this case. I am thankful to you for having broken the charm,
and as you have spoken first, I hasten to speak in reply — after
the manner of ghosts in such cases.

I know that you are an enthusiastic naturalist, and that your
favourite department is that most fascinating one, Ornithology,
which offers the combination of science and sport, of out-of-door
intellectual exercise and amusement, in a greater degree than any
of its sister " ologies." I used to consider myself when slaughter-
ing the Iona Sea-fowl as doing a little in this way, and instead
of being a mere animated ramrod, taking aim and loading up
again as fast as it can, I persuaded myself that I was doing a
little of what I might call the " Sport ornithologomancy." My
experiences have been very limited since I left Iona. Certainly

146 THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL.

during the two years that I rambled over a considerable part of
Upper Canada I carried with me a gun and an eye towards birds ;
but in my present locality, though there is abundance of the
common kinds of wild fowl, there is rarely anything to gladden the
eye of the collector and make his pulse bound and his aim
tremble as he deliberately " gets on " a fine specimen. As you
do me the compliment of asking me to contribute some more
papers on this subject, I shall be happy to write a letter or two
in the old friendly style, though the matters be but small ; and
should they be too garrulous (for I am older than I was five years
ago) for any other purpose, I dare say they will be an amusement
to an old friend.

In our neighbourhood, and I should suppose generally else-
where, this has been a rare season for wild fowl ; the unusually
severe winter has assembled more than the ordinary amount of
Mallard and Widgeon, with the usual proportion of Pochards,
Seals, &c, which mostly congregate where the reflux of the tide
leaves an expansive margin of muddy acres on which the hungry
million pick up their pasturage.

When the tide is out more than a mile of good mud is laid
bare, prolific in every delicacy dear to the Wading or Web-footed
gastronome. Thence you may hear all night long their wild
cries ringing on the frozen air ; tribe calling upon tribe in varied
cadence, borne in from the distant ebb so distinctly upon the
silent night wind, that every characteristic note may be heard and
the number of the various species estimated by the observer, even
comfortably in bed, half a mile inland.

But when the moon rises high and near her full, clear and

LETTER XXI.

147

frosty in the bright blinks between the driving north-east snow
squalls, throwing a sheet of white light over the distant sea and
the dried-up bed of the loch, which it has temporarily relinquished

m

$P^ %

— out there, breaking across that luminous pathway in a great black
streak, is a teeming mass of life, dabbling, squattering in the ooze,
sailing in black specks across the bright pools, surging to and fro.
Now a noisy contention rises among groups of the vast multitude,

148 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

as they press on one another, or rival clans intrude too closely.
But such disputative cacklings subside again as quickly as they
rise, and nothing but the crow of an old cock Widgeon or the
husky quacking of a veteran Mallard is to be heard above the
general chorus of many thousand pairs of spoon - bills,1 all
sputtering and shovelling away for dear life at the ample feast of
fat sea worms and rich pasturage of sea grass set before them.

While we are watching them, or perhaps by a crafty approach
are hoping to have a nearer view, the report of a gun comes
booming over the flats and rumbles away into silence among the
opposite hills. Its last echoes are/ however, drowned in a new
and louder noise ; it was but the signal for a universal uproar,
a hubbub, a hurricane of confusion. Far and near there now
rises the thunder of many wings rebounding off the half-frozen
mud, as the birds spring into the air, acting as a rolling bass to
the shriller sounds of anger and alarm issuing from myriads
of throats in varied keys. The Curlew hovers in the air,
shrieking frantically ; the Golden Plover gives his wild plaintive
whistle as he dashes by on hawk-like wing ; the Sea-pyet, eddying
in a spiral column over a stricken comrade who is trying hard to
gain the water, ring out their shrill querulous " Peep, peep ! "
the Heron gives a hoarse, angry yell as his broad flapping pinions
catch the light sea breeze and lift him out of danger; the heavy
Scotch Duck2 quacks as she bustles away on busy wing; a few
Bernacle Geese rise and go off in good order in single file, sound-
ing an angry clang of alarm ; any unknown quantity of Sand-

1 A family name evidently, as intended by our author. — Ed.

2 Anas boschas. L. — Ed.

LETTER XXI. 149

pipers, Turnstone, and other " mud-larks," give vent to their
feelings in shrill pipings. But all this is secondary to the clam-
our of the Widgeon, who, in vast flocks, distractedly wheel round
and round with whistling cries and whistling pinions, calling all
heaven and earth to witness their distress, their grief, how " their
nerves have been shaken and their rest has been marred " by that
fatal sound, the ignition of nitre. It takes a long time before
confidence begins to be restored ; but gradually the uproar sub-
sides, and the scattered bands begin to settle down again from
their aerial gyrations to resume their interrupted diet. Still some
wary old Curlew continues at intervals to blow off his alarm-
whistle— very different from the pleasant, bubbling cry, half wail,
half gurgle, which proceeds from the contented Curlew when, in
peace and safety, he bores deep into the cool sand and feels a soft
sea-slug wriggling in his mandibles — the note which has won for
him his Gaelic name of Gul-buin, Musical Wailer.

The worst of it is, that each sonorous alarm, as it proceeds
from the cunning old " whaup's " throat, sets off his tattling little
neighbour — the Redshank — into a little hysterical screaming fit
as a response, producing a third response — not remarkable for
piety or elegance of diction — from a gentleman not two hundred
yards away, lying prone upon the mud, who is anxious to put his
benumbed limbs in motion, and would at that moment cheerfully
give all his worth to wring the little brute's neck, and give that
long-billed old fellow something to squeal for ; for he knows that
as long as their unnecessary clamour keeps the whole shore in a
fidget, so long must he lie in that ignominious position in brother-
hood with the old bernacle-encrusted log left there by the last tide.

L

150 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

At high water on moonshiny nights the Widgeon draw to the
shore, and land to graze upon the banks at those points where the
grass grows quite down to the verge of the sea ; and in the day-
time some exciting shots may be got from a punt by paddling
along the shore, where you may surprise small parties or single

..XS<F *£ LB I IMi

-z

%J

birds in the little bays and crevices. Very often on a sunny
day, with a sharp north wind blowing, you may catch a little
flock napping under a sequestered rock, enjoying the glare of the
sun, and sheltered from the wind. Intimate acquaintance with
the localities and pet places of the birds is rather essential to
success in poking round the shores. Even should you see a vast

LETTER XXI. 151

flock riding at anchor a little way out to sea, waiting the turn of
the tide, — a long streak, blackening the water for a quarter of a
mile, — it is not impossible but that, with good management and
better luck, one may get a chance ; by drifting, or very gently
paddling, one might get within cartridge range before they rise.
When the rolling noise, like distant thunder, announces " they
are up," boat your oars and handle your gun, and it's hard but
one section of the great mass pass within shot. Sometimes, while
wheeling about, a second chance may be had before the whole of
the scattered flocks form into a dense column, and stream away
right in the wind's eye, the old birds whistling and " whewing "
their commands as they regulate the order of their going.

On the 13th February (St Valentine's Eve) I observed the
Widgeon were beginning to pair. Several loving couples appar-
ently all in all to one another, had separated from the flock.
It was almost the first bright mild day of the season ; the water
was like glass. I followed one couple for a considerable distance.
The duck seemed very loath to fly ; but as I approached, the
drake, who shone resplendent to the sun in full pride of plumage,
became fidgety, nodding his head and sailing round his mate,
apparently urging her to fly with him. At last, unable to stand
it any longer, he fairly spread his wings, and flapping the stilly
surface of the water into rings, rose and was off : but, no ! finding
his mate did not accompany him, down he dropped again into the
water some twenty yards off. I made a circuit after him to avoid
starting the duck ; as I paddled within fifty yards of that
unreasonable female, she remained obstinately still, not moving a
feather ; apparently she fancied that she so escaped detection,

152 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

there being some few floating fronds of seaweed ("knobbed
wrack ") on the surface about her. Again I started her sorely-
tried lord, with exactly the same result. He would not go
without her. Just then, however, a sudden whim crossed her
capricious ladyship's head, and, without a moment's notice, off
she clipped, with her gallant drake close in her wake. I watched
them down, again came up with them, and they again performed
the same evolutions. The duck seemed to think she was safe ;
that I would not shoot such an insignificant object as herself, as
long as that splendid fellow of a husband of hers was waiting
there to be gone after. His opinion seemed to be about the same,
only he could not bring himself to forsake his " duck " to seek his
own safety. So he continued swimming round and round her in
a wide circle, allowing me to come within fifty or sixty yards, and
then flying a little distance, while the duck would only fly when
I made straight for her, coming within forty yards. I left them
at last, though of course I might have shot them both with the
greatest ease. Meeting another couple, under somewhat similar
circumstances, I killed the drake. To my surprise, he was not in
nearly such highly brilliant plumage as some I had got early in
January (of course, long before they had paired). I observed espe-
cially that the teal-like green patch behind the eye, which was quite
absent in the mated bird, was very highly developed in some of
the winter birds. I should suppose that mature age brings this
accession of beauty ; if so, it is but natural to suppose that these
well-plumed old beaux are not the birds to be caught pairing the
day before St Valentine.

Two or three pair of Teal seemed inclined to act in the same

LETTER XXI.

153

way as the Widgeon had done. A gallant little fellow — the
miniature drake — was in his bright new livery, his red head and
freckled grey back gleaming in the sunshine. However, on my
nearer approach, the vivacious little couple flitted away like a
dream, scarcely leaving a circling ripplet in the glassy mirror,

^<-

"S

£&&&*

—vj.'fc.iMfii*

jCSS*

W

which this moment had borne, as well as reflected, the trig little
figures of the elfin pair.

A few Eazor-bills are swimming and dipping about the loch ;
their long, rattling croaks, borne along the smooth water, sound
like a Punch and Judy having a conjugal difference. Ean du na
sqadain (the black herring birds), the Highland fisherman calls
them, in common with the Guillemot ; for when he sees them pour
out their vast multitudes along the western shores, speckling the

154 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

seas as far as the eye can reach, then he knows that it is time for
him to bark his nets and patch up the old skiff, in preparation
for the great herring campaign.

Though this part of Locli Fyne is abundantly frequented by
all the ordinary description of wild fowl, yet, being but inland
waters, it is not such a favourable post of observation as one of
the outlying islands of the west. From one of those rocky watch-
towers you may see the mighty armies of the skies, the plumed
hosts of the air, upon their annual march to and fro. Those
desolate rocks often shelter a tempest-driven stranger, who other-
wise would not seek our shores ; and those hyperborean seas give
a winter welcome to the hardy Arctic tribes, who disdain the
tepid waters and enervating climate of the south. Yet even here in
spring we may observe various northern emigrants, dressed in their
sumptuous nuptial robes, on their way to the bush fens of Norway,
where, steaming under the never-setting sun among the rank sedge
and lukewarm waters of the dark lagune, is some well-known
secluded spot, far from the ken of man, where many a generation
of young Northern, or Ked-throated Diverting and Sclavonian
Grebelet, has first seen the light, and been launched on life's
troubled waters. The latter bird I observed here in March. Last
year a considerable number remained in the loch during the last
week of the month, a spell of bad weather retarding their pro-
gress. Though going in small parties, they had evidently paired,
the couples keeping close together ; so close, indeed, that I obtained
two specimens at one shot. They were in full summer dress — a
very striking and beautiful combination of buff, black, and white.
The largely-developed horns of orange plumes are a very striking

LETTER XXI. 155

feature, and add very much to the quaint appearance of this queer
species of water-fowl. The iris is a rich ruby red, with an
extremely fine exterior thread of white running round it. I have
compared these specimens with a similar one shot in Canada,
where it is abundant on the large lakes and rivers. It there
rejoices in the descriptive and euphonious title of " Hell-diver."
The most remarkable difference is that in the American specimen
the horns are connected by a band of the same bright orange buff
running across the forehead at the base of the bill. This makes
a very characteristic difference in the personal appearance of the
two birds, which otherwise seem identical, and seems to be so
considered by Wilson, who simply calls it Colymbus, or Podiceps
Cornutus, as we do our Horned Grebe on this side of the
Atlantic.

So much for the notes of the season, as noted on the banks of
the Gilp, which, you see, is a very inferior post of observation to
Columba's old isle.

;**

XXII.

Akdrishaig, ls^ May 1860.

It is a good while since I last addressed you. The fact is that
very little of mutual interest has come under my observation here
since the Widgeon and Wild Duck have flown away.

I am glad that my effusion on Ducks and mud interested you.
I dare say that to a correspondent in town it bore with it some
odour of the seaside ; some of the aroma of low water mark, that
invigorating and mysterious smell made up of brine, seaweed,
stranded whelks, and other strange, ancient fishy smells peculiar to
the venerable bed of Old Ocean when its outer edges are hung out
to dry. I do not doubt you know it and admit it as much as I.
To my mind, or rather to my nose, it is more precious and
refreshing than the breeze off the meadows with its breath of
furze bloom and tedded hay — that is, of course, when it is quite
pure and without any of those hateful perfumes marking the
nuptials of Cloaca with Neptune, which happily our loch is as
yet innocent of. When the tide is out I feel that I am lord of
this manor for at least four hours out of the twenty-four.
" My right there is none to dispute " in this muddy realm. " Our
farm of four acres " is not so valuable as this neutral ground,
where lairds are not, and where gamekeepers do not extend.
Even Canute, the only king who ever attempted to encroach upon
its liberties, signally failed ; and though his royal successors in
time came to rule the waves of the ocean, yet they never attempted
to rule them quite straight round the edge of Great Britain ;

LETTER XXII. 157

there they obey only the eternal decree as given in the Book of

Job, and attend the beck of their deputed mistress, the Moon.

On this tract of land, which encircles our tight little island,

Nature spreads her table twice every day for a large class of her

children, especially her long-legged and flat-footed sons and

daughters, who revel on juicy molluscs and many an unctious

bait, saying shrill graces through their long beaks, till the air

rings again with as grateful music to the Giver of good things as

any " Non Nobis " that ever was chanted after turtle and venison.

This land of promise has inexhaustible attractions, too, for

creatures in a higher walk of life. Here the wary gunner, either

by land or on the water, may match his strategy against the Argus

eyes of game which is free of three elements ; or the more leisurely

and meditative polypus hunter may here pick up, Curlew-like, out

of the puddles, for that aquarium in his study at home, " all

things that are forked, and horned, and soft," and

" All the dry, pied things that be
In the hueless mosses under the sea."

The pale invalid, too, is here, sitting on a rock, pumping oxygen
and iodine into his lungs as fast as he can, while he is at the
same time busy sketching " low water, spring tide." Here all
comers are sure to find what they have come for ; wild game, sea
monsters, or the picturesque, be it what it may, all abound here.
Sport active, sport passive, and lots of fresh sea breeze for all.

The Sclavonian Grebes visited us again, but three weeks later
than I observed them last year, being in this respect in keeping
with everything else this wet and tardy spring. They were in
full feather, and in about the same numbers as last year ; but the

158 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

weather was so stormy and wet all the time they stayed that I
could not procure a specimen. They frequently cried to one
another when they became separated after a long submarine pro-
menade. Their cry consists of a sharp, grating, rapidly repeated
shriek. They were off and on during the third week in April.

The Cuckoo brought his long overdue promissory note of
coming spring on the 2nd May ; and the Terns or Sea Swallows,
who also serve the purpose of marine Cuckoos on the rocky,
treeless coast of the Hebrides, filled the air with their shrilly voices
on the 12 th May, which is three days earlier than they are due
at Iona.

Eight days ago I saw a Great Northern Diver in the loch. I
watched him for a long time with the glass. He was in full
summer plumage. The water being as smooth as glass, I had an
opportunity of remarking the characteristic styles of diving dis-
tinguishing various members of the genus " Dookers." The Great
Northern Diver bends his head gently back, then easily and
majestically bows it down under water, without the least sign of
hurry or effort ; the front portion of his huge bulk subsides gently
under the surface like a noble ship settling down by the head ;
as the tail end disappears after it, two splashes of water are dashed
up in the air by an upward stroke of the broad paddles, as the
noble bird precipitates himself into the middle depths. The
whole process is conducted with the deliberation to be expected
from a bird occupying the respectable post of JIUiara Bhuachaille,
or herdsman of the deep, the fanciful name given him by the
Highlanders ; though, being a bird of easy temper, it does not
appear that he really uses his powerful bill and portly bulk to

LETTER XXII. 159

constitute himself a sea beadle amongst his lesser fish-hunting
associates. The Cormorant and Goosander's motion is a striking
contrast to that of the Northern Loon. These jerk back their
necks preparatory to the spring, then, with a most vigorous effort,
almost skip out of the water and plunge down head foremost like
a bather taking a " header." A Golden-eye was bobbing up and
down over a bank of sea grass, his fatter proportions requiring
considerable exertion and a good somersault to get safely down to
the bottom. On rising, so buoyant did he appear, that he almost
seemed to shoot out of the water ark-like ; while he invariably
reappeared in the very centre of the rings which the splash of
his descent had made. The Great Northern Diver, on the con-
trary, emerges between four and five gunshots from where he went
down, his long, black, frigate-like hull rising slowly to the surface
and shooting along with great " weigh on." The Puffins and
Guillemots— poor things ! — having no neck to speak of, just pop
down any way they best can, cocking up their little tail ends
towards heaven, as they bid farewell to the superficial things of the
world, and opening their wings to assist them to scuttle down.

In the early part of June myriads of Puffins visit us and
remain two or three weeks. I have seen them flying in
thousands up Loch Gilp and out again, without any apparent
object, unless it be that they are disappointed to find it a cul-de-
sac, and are afraid to fly overland. It really seems as though
they had made an error in their navigation, and taking the
wrong side of the Mull of Cantyre on their way north, till, on
arriving at the head of Loch Gilp, they find themselves non-
plussed. Loons, Scarts, and Geese I often see flying high across

160 THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL.

the narrow neck of land at Crinan, but never Guillemots and
Puffins.1 Even at their breeding places, when disturbed, the vast
flocks keep flying round and round in a great circle — a maelstrom
of feathers — its edge forming a tangent with the verge of the
cliff; but you may wait in vain for a single bird to encroach
upon the line ; whatever you shoot, in falling, is sure to plumb
the sea below.2

XXIII.

Akdeishaig, 1st May 1861.

On Monday, 25 th February, I started for a trip to Jura. My
companion was a young officer in the 78 th Highlanders. We
drove over the hill to Tayvallich, on Loch Swein, and at
Carsaig found a large, smack-rigged boat waiting to ferry us over
to Jura, which lay opposite, about eight miles off, though our run
was a good deal more, as we bore some way down the coast.

The aspect of Jura is as wild, rugged, and inhospitable as
can be conceived. Not a house or vestige of inhabitants is to be
seen as far as the eye can reach up and down that interminable line
of shaggy brown coast. The triple Paps of Jura, the best known
landmark on the west coast of Scotland, are steeped in mist away
to the south ; while to the north Scarba rears his high round
back into the lowering sky, and Corryvreckin — " the boiler of the
spotted ocean " — roars at his feet. This is the Scylla and
Charybdis of the Ebudean seas. Though ten miles off, we hear

1 See also at p. 259, text and footnote. — En.

- Not always strictly so with Puffins or Rockbirds in many localities.- Ei».

LETTER XXIII. 161

the voices of the vexed waters within the whirlpool, and can see
the white waves madly leaping into the air, throwing up the foam
towards the sky, as they approaeh the entrance to the gulf
between Scarba and Jura. Even where we are, the water is in
a state of ebullition, — technically called a " tide rip, or ripple," —
quite distinct from the ordinary waves, which roll along before
the wind.1

Our skipper gets a pull of the sheet, keeps his luff, and shouts
something discordant in Gaelic to his mate in the bow (wearing
a garibaldi, red frock, and only one boot), who trims the jib.
We surmise that the Sound of Jura is a treacherous water, but
have implicit confidence in our skipper, who screws himself into
as snug a position as the steering perch upon which he is roosting
will admit, and makes horrible faces as he dislodges a bit of
tobacco in his cheek with his tongue.

At last we near the land, and shooting past a little rocky
point, find ourselves in a smooth, glassy, land-locked bay with a
little pier, shrubs growing down to the water's edge, and a gay
little yacht floating peaceably at anchor, unconscious of the
heaving surf, which ever moans at the narrow portal of this
placid little haven.

We were received on shore by a couple of gillies, who took
our guns and slender baggage, and then ascended a gentle slope
of grass like a large lawn, bounded by rocky banks, shaggy with

1 Such as we ourselves witnessed, near the same place, in July 1SS7, from the
deck of our yacht, interested in an appearance which might well have served as
an illustration of the Great Sea Serpent : and one frecpiently observed and
understood by lighthouse-keepers, and others who are accustomed to gaze upon
the waters, in all stages of calm or storm, or ebb and flow of tide. — En.

1G2 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

brushwood, to the house, which stands on the top of the ascent —
a large, low, straggling white house, with old-fashioned windows
and numerous slated gables. Stables, offices, and garden nestle
behind, sheltered by walls and a few stunted trees. Shelter
seems the great object aimed at; not shelter by trees, of which
there are none to speak of, but by the surrounding hills and
banks. A steep, rocky hill stands in front of the house, leaving
an opening on each side for sea views, with turf descending to the
shore. The south side of this rocky elevation is laid out in walks,
planted with laurels and lauristinus, forming overarching bowers,
and with rhododendrons, and fuchsias ; one of the latter, fourteen
feet in height, already budding, proved the mildness of the climate.
Natural caves and grottoes are formed in the cliffy face of the rock,
festooned with small-leaved ivy. There is a little grey rocky islet
forty yards off, leaving a narrow sound between it and the land.

The owner of the mansion being away, we were gravely wel-
comed by Mr Dougald, the major-domo. We located ourselves
permanently in the smoking-room — a long room on the ground
floor — and there we had a very " tall " dinner ; soup, fish, beef
pudding, wine — a cask of beer had been tapped the moment our
boat touched the shore. Such a table spread in such a wilderness
gave the impression of an enchanted castle in that wild, remote,
hungry-looking island ; the more so on account of the stillness
and desertion of the house, for we never saw a sign of any other
servant in it besides Mr Dougald, who appeared and disappeared
in silence and mystery through a noiseless, self-closing, green
baize door, ever bearing fresh viands, wines, vivres, or books,
maps — anything we chose to ask for or even hint at. This green

LETTER XXIII.

163

baize door became a perfect Herr Dobbler magic hat ; and it was
at last a relief to permanently " lay " Mr
Dougald's bishop -like, black -vestured,
white -chokered figure through
that mysterious chasm,
with all his decanters,
plate, silver teapot, &c,
and then draw our
own very homely
figures (in slightly
damaged shooting
coats and carpet slip-
pers) to the fireside.
My companion seemed
highly amused at
my surprise ; for when
he asked me to go
with him to Jura,
I immediately proposed

taking a boiled ham, a gallon of
beer, a bottle of whisky, and
other such rude necessaries of
life, supposing that we should have
resided in a cave ; for Jura, though as
large as the Isle of Wight, may almost be
called uninhabited. Since the Norsemen named it Diur ay, — the

164 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

Deer Island, — Jura has ever been more noted as a deer forest than
as a place for colonisation. It may seem a misnomer calling these
wild tracts forests, where no cover grows bigger than will harbour
woodcock and adders, both of which abound greatly, but it is the
term always used even in other equally treeless districts. It may
be defended by the undoubted fact that all these islands and western
shores once waved with giant trees that would rival the American
backwoods. The impenetrable forest of Calydon extended all
over Argyle, its terrible depths peopled by wild bulls, boars, and
bears, and wilder Britons, formed an impassable barrier even to
the invincible legions of Eome. In the peat mosses, which cover
so large an extent of the Western Isles, roots of forest trees in
great quantities are found in the position in which they grew, five
or six feet beneath the surface of the super-accumulated moss.
On a steep, rocky bank by the house1 stands a most venerable
witness to this fact, in the presence of a hollow-hearted, old oak
tree, twenty-one feet in circumference, though very dwarfed in
height. A great part is dead, but some boughs yet had leaves,
proving there is life in this old relic, which has been an eye-
witness, and perhaps taken part — for the oak was a sacred tree
— in the mystic ceremonies of the Druids, " am fasga ra daraich "
— under the shade of the oak. Edinburgh savants opine that
this tree is more than fifteen hundred years old. Another smaller
one, a mere boy, which has probably not yet seen a thousand
summers, stands near. Both are growing on a steep, rugged,
rocky bank, out of crevices scarcely fit for brushwood. The wood
of the massy trunk has grown over the rock, like the gouty ankles

1 Ardlussa House. — Ed.

LETTER XXIII. 165

of an old man bulging over his shoes. It gives the impression of
the rock having cut into the heart of the tree.

Having breakfasted at an early hour next morning, we went
to the keeper's cottage, where we saw some magnificent Scotch
greyhounds for staghunting, and then started off on a journey of
five miles over the most desolate, death-like tract of peat-moss,
greystone, and interminable straths of coarse, sprit-like grass. A
few black tarns or lochans only varied the surface. On one was
a solitary diver, alternately appearing and disappearing. This
sole instance of life amid such bleak sterility looked like the " last
man." One could almost fancy at every dive that he was vainly
trying to commit suicide. Glok ! glok ! bark a pair of Eavens
high overhead — the Scandinavian pet, emblematic of ravening
and desolation. Hurrah ! life at last ! A string of wild geese
rise in a spiral out of a dismal lochlet with sonorous cacklings.
Ah ! had we but known they were there ! So we trudge on till the
head of Loch Tarbert appears in sight. This is the object of our
walk, and we trace its banks for some six miles or more of very
rough walking. The head of this loch is a large sheet of water
some two miles in diameter ; then comes a very narrow channel,
only about a hundred yards wide, between two high precipitous
rocks, which again expands into another basin, speckled with little
heathery islets. A mile or so lower down comes another con-
traction, a narrow rocky channel, through which the tide rushes
like a river, swirling round the shattered splintery rocks forming
its banks. An almost continuous flitting goes on over its surface
of Shieldrake, Eiders, Widgeon, and other wild ducks, to and fro,
going and returning from the sea to the feeding grounds afforded

M

166 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

by the shallow, muddy loch-head. The banks are perpendicular
crags, clothed with lichen and moss. So narrow is the inter-
vening thread of water in one place, so high and abrupt the
opposite cliffs, that it looks as if you could almost jump across.
On surmounting one more brown heathery wave, we come in sight
of a great gulf, apparently the open sea ; but really it is the last
and largest reach of the loch. In the distance the land again
closes in, leaving only a narrow opening and thread of water
communicating with the ocean. Beyond this the hazy outline of
blue-grey Islay — Ila gorm glas — and above us the eternal Paps,
frowning from under a deep veil of rolling cloud.

About a quarter of a mile out from the cliff on which we stood
was a group of skerries, or small tide rocks, embossing the surface
of the water. Here we threw ourselves on the heather some
seventy feet above the level of the water at our feet. The
keeper, who accompanied us, produced his glass, and, after a few
moments' sweep of the surface of the loch, simply said " Sealchs,"
and handed the glass to my companion. When it came to my
turn to examine the spot indicated, I saw a herd of some two
dozen Seals lying in every possible attitude of lazy ease upon two
little skerries, the nearest one about a third or a quarter of a
mile off shore. Suddenly my attention was arrested by some-
thing peculiar ; and though I had only seen drawings, and was
not in the least on the look-out for such a thing, yet I at once
felt sure that I beheld two Harp Seals ! Sure enough a pair of
Harp Seals lay upon that rock, and a third one on another islet
half a mile to the left.

This animal is an inhabitant of Greenland. The instances of

LETTER XXIII. 167

its capture in the British Isles are extremely rare. I had never
before seen or even heard of one. It looks much larger than the
Common Seal, perhaps from its conspicuous colour against the
dark rocks ; the others look black at a distance. The Harp Seal
is all snowy white, except for a curious harp-shaped black spot
across the middle of its back.

This is all I could remember, and devoutly did my congrega-
tion listen to me — the ancient keeper and the young officer.
Ardently did we long to strike the Harp with a conical bullet ;
but though I had my American rifle, what could one do at a
quarter of a mile without a boat on such a slippery subject as a
Seal ? So there we lay watching them for some three hours.
The atmosphere being pretty clear, we could, with the aid of a
good two-foot glass, make them out very distinctly. At last the
rising tide gradually submerged them, and eventually floated them
off, for they were too lazy to move themselves, and seemed to take
a luxurious delight in being gradually washed away.

I noted down the remarks of my companions, who were quite
unaware of the existence of any such animal as the Harp Seal.
They were struck by its great size, its extreme whiteness, and the
black spot upon its shoulder and back. The Seals changed their
position more than once, and frequently turned their heads about ;
but it had no effect upon the colour of their hair. Of course
they were quite dry, as we had watched them three hours.

The keeper acknowledged never having seen such a thing
before, though he was aware that the fishermen talked of a large
Seal, called by them Ta-beist

I wrote an account of these Seals to the Field, which produced

168 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

a letter from Mr Edward Newman asserting the improbability
of its being the Harp Seal, and suggesting the possibility of its
having been the Grey Seal (Halichairus). After this I made all
the inquiries I could upon the subject, and got at least three pretty
authentic cases of the capture of a " White Seal of extraordinary
size " — the best one being in Loch Scridain, Mull, by Mr
M'Kinnon, a farmer whom I am acquainted with. In these
inquiries I have ascertained that the Western Islanders are
familiar with three species of Seal — viz., Ta-beist, Bon, and Bodach.
Ta-beist is the name generally applied by the natives to a large
Seal, far bigger than the Common Seal, also breeding at a different
season, and varying in many of its habits. This Gaelic word is
compounded of the obsolete word ta (water), which still survives
in the name of Loch Tay, and perhaps in the Eiver Teign — ta a 'n,
and heist (beast) — Water beast. Under this title I suspect they
confound the Grey Seal {Halichairus), the Great Bearded Seal
(Barhatus), and perhaps the Harp Seal ; in fact, anything which

&*'

LETTER XXIII. 169

is neither the Common Seal or Hon (pro-
nounced Bet/urn), or the Lesser Seal
or Bodach. This word signi- *-;K

fies " old man," though it is .IN""

used in other senses, as when ap-
plied to a scarecrow, a hobgoblin, a red rock codfish, &c. In this
instance it designates a peculiar dwarf seal, very much smaller
than the Common Seal, though consorting with it, and readily
giving the impression of its being merely the young of that
species. It is, however, now generally recognised as being quite
distinct. The minister of Colonsay assured me that he was well
acquainted with it, as were all the islanders. Mr James Wilson1
also mentions that he frequently killed them of the size of a
Common Seal at three months old, though they had grey beards
and decayed teeth, that were few in number, and remarks that
they were not so shy as the Common Seal, nor so solitary as the
Tapvaist (Ta-bcist).

Towards the end of March last I received a fresh skin of a
recently killed young Seal. It was four feet long without the
flippers ; very nearly pure white, only slightly tinged witli yellow ;
the hair so soft and long it might be called woolly — admirably
adapted for a lady's muff. My friend who sent it is a native of
the Hebrides, and kills many Seals annually. He is quite con-
versant with their habits, as he is also with those of the wild
fowl and other creatures which frequent that district, though not
scientifically or systematically. The following notice accompanied
the skin : — " I send you the skin of a Ta-beist, a young one of
1 Naturalist? 8 Library, Vol. XXV. p. 158, note.

170 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

about a month old. It has not got the black spot upon the back.
Its habits differ very much from those of the Common Seal. She
has her young in November, and it is found three or four yards
above high water mark, sometimes quite among the fern and
heather. They do not take to the water till six weeks old, when
they weigh seventy or eighty pounds. If disturbed, however, the
mother will make oft" with her calf, which she does by taking it
up upon her back and so plunging into the sea. Even after a
long dive, on rising to the surface, the young one remains securely
on its mother's back. She comes to suckle it regularly at high
water, but her instinct teaches her to choose such spots that it is
impossible either to approach or lay in wait for them without
being seen or scented. The colour of the old Seal is a little
darker than the one I send you, and the black spot extends over
the back of the neck and shoulders. I cannot say at what age
the young ones get the black spot. I perceive no difference in
their shape from the Common Seal, though the old ones are
much larger, being seven or eight feet long and fully thicker than
a herring barrel in the body."1

This is my friend's history of the Ta-beist. He very thoroughly
proves it a very different animal from the Ron, though leaving it
doubtful as to which of the Great Seals he describes, and my
conclusion is that he confounds more than one species under the
name of Ta-beist, the Grey Seal being probably the commonest of
them. The season of breeding seems to be one criterion, also the
place of breeding. The Common Seal being apparently the only one

1 Undoubtedly intended to describe the Great Grey Seal, or Halickcerus
gryphus. — Ed.

LETTER XXIII. 171

whose young are born close to the water's edge, take to that element
immediately, and only suckle at low water upon the sea-weedy
rocks just appearing above the level of the sea. All the greater
seals seem to breed almost inland, and the young require some
weeks or even months to prepare them for the sea, during which
time they change their first coat, which is white and woolly,
almost lamb-like in appearance.

Seals are now so scarce in all but the remotest spots that it is
worth while securing the attention of those few who have any
chance of visiting such localities to what we so particularly wish
to learn. As the general diffusion of guns within late years has
thinned, if not extinguished, many species of wild birds, as well
as beasts, so now the almost universal use of the rifle in its most
improved and deadly form will probably sound the requiem of
some more species of our indigenous fauna, or drive them from
our shores.

The Great Grey Seal has black markings also, but not so
distinct or pronounced as those of the Harp Seal.1

1 We are ourselves doubtful of the perfect identification of this Harp Seal by Mr
Graham. Yet he was a good and accurate observer, and his argument about the
names is exactly what we have ourselves ascertained. Tapvaist gives its name to a
rock in the Sound of Harris in the Outer Hebrides — Scuir nan Tapvaist — ivhich, to
our certain knowledge, almost annually holds one pair of very large, very white,
very ancient Great Grey Seeds. The Great Grey Seal appears, in certain lights and
shadows, almost of a silvery white, a?id so, indeed, also does the common species
(vitulina). On this Scuir nan Tapvaist (elsewhere spoken of— vide Fauna of the
Outer Hebrides, p. 24,) — they have also, as certainly, bred. But again, on another
rock of the Sound of Harris, as related in the previous volume of this series already
quoted, Harvie-Brown is perfectly confident himself of his identification of a true
Harp Seal, killed by him, and fired at in the water, within a distance of five or ten
yards, but, alas! lost in a strong tide race, the harp marks across the back of the
adult being distinctly visible. — Ed.

X7X I V.

Kilmoky Cottage, Lochgilphead,
1st February 1863.

The locality in which I am now residing offers very little oppor-
tunity for observing anything very novel or remarkable in the
ornithological way. However, I will briefly sum up what little
experiences I have had since we last met (on paper).

During the last two summers I have had a most valuable corres-
pondent in a young friend, Mr Colin M'Vean,1 who is on Captain
Otters' surveying staff working on the outer islands. He was
my constant companion in my rambles about Iona and Mull, an
island famous for its bygone school of Ollai Mullach — wise men
of Mull. But all the wise men of Mull of the present age have
taken themselves to Canada or elsewhere, so the only college open
there now is that celebrated one where students find " tongues in
trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good
in everything," and certainly not least in the auspicious art of
observing the flight of birds. In this art we matriculated
together, and I place the most implicit reliance on the accuracy
of his observations. I had one letter written from St Kilda,
where he was for several days, but latterly he was camping out
on detached service in a lonesome bay in the Isle of Barra. His
descriptions here give one an impression of a kind of Paradise of
birds. Lochs studded with ducks and geese innocent of gun-

1 Colin M'Vean — whose personal friendship the present Editor of these Manu-
scripts enjoys — son of the Rev. Dr M'Vean of Iona; and who has also largely
assisted in reminiscences and Natural History Notes for this volume, as well as
illustrations contained in it. — Ed.

LETTER XXIV.

173

powder, while quantity is not superior to quality, as his list
includes birds which are barely recognised as Scottish. One of
these, a male Gadwall, he contrived to send to me (though this
was difficult where there was a post only once a month or six
weeks). The Stilt, Spoonbill, and Osprey figure, while Eagles
seem as common as Sparrows ; every house keeps a tame one, and
my friend soon had a young Sea Eagle on his staff, which became
almost tame, though it resented being poked with an umbrella by
breaking the stick in three bits and scattering the silk to the winds.

<4'^

w--^

,;:.^»'

On the 17th January Mr M'Vean writes from the Eoss of
Mull : — " The only new thing in the bird way is that since we
brought our tame geese over to this side (mainland side of Iona
Sound) they at once took to Loch Potii, which as usual is fre-
quented by wild- fowl. In a few days they were joined by a
White-fronted Goose (I have no doubt whatever as to the species,
for I shot one last winter in Iona, and had him stuffed in Edin-
burgh). This rare bird became quite attached to the tame geese,
and came with them to be fed at the window. It was so tame

174 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

that I would not shoot it, though I have fired the gun almost
over its head without its moving. It remained about three
months quite quietly till the loch froze over last week, and the
geese were all frozen into it, and had to be released by the
Scarbh, which has come to end her days in quiet waters ; since
then the stranger has disappeared, and, I fear, for good."

The Scarbh, or Scart, is my old boat, in which I did what
service I could in the sacred cause. She has since been preserved
by my good island friends, on the same principle that the old
Victory still remains afloat and ataunto in Portsmouth Harbour,
with her guns aboard and her flag flying.

Mr M'Vean adds : — " My Eagle is quite reconciled to living on
this side the Sound. Though quite at large all day, he returns to
roost at night. I spent some time in Ardnamurchan to visit the
young laird. I discovered that the Woodcock bred in the dis-
trict in considerable numbers ; from the castle windows every
evening I could count a dozen flying about, making a peculiar
purring noise. I also visited one of the largest heronries I ever
saw. It is on the cliffs at the Point of Ardnamurchan ; the rocks
are covered with ivy and shrubs, among which the Herons build.
It was a pretty sight pulling along the shore to see hundreds of
young birds sitting on the ledges, stretching their long necks to
look down at us."

A fine male, in perfect plumage, of a Iied-crested Pochard
(Fuligula rufina) was shot in this neighbourhood (Craignish).
It was on a fresh -water loch, in company with Widgeon, but
without a companion of its own species. It is a beautiful bird ;
the bright red of bill and legs like coral, the tufted crest and

LETTER XXIV. 175

bay, or bright chestnut, of head and neck, far surpass the Red-
headed Pochard (F. fcrina) in brilliancy of colouring, though
there is a sort of general resemblance, which may have occasioned
its being sometimes mistaken for it, and so not reported. I had
to point out its peculiarities even to some shooting neighbours
before they would acknowledge that it was not a Red-headed
Pochard. A young relation, on leave from India (Mr Edward
Jenkinson), recognised the bird immediately, it being very
abundant and giving great sport on the reedy ponds (jheels) in
his district (Cawnpore and Benares). It is called by the natives
Tal seer (Red head).

The skin of the Rufina was in perfect condition, and when I
showed it to our neighbour, Captain Orde (son of Sir John Orde
of Kilmory), who is an arch-birdist, and has a very pretty col-
lection of specimens, which he obtained himself when quartered in
North America and other countries, he expressed a wish to take it
to London to exhibit at the meeting of the " Ibis " Club.1 So the
illustrious dead was introduced to that assembly. I afterwards
begged him to accept of it for his collection, and contented
myself with a coloured portrait which I made.

The Common Teal was the only other duck which he recognised
among the great variety which India produces. But though
shooting ducks is admirable sport, yet the economical plan is to
hire a duckman, who swims after the ducks with a calabash, or
earthen jar, having eye-holes, over his head, and catches them

1 " British Ornithologists' Union," under whose auspices The Ibis, a journal of
ornithology, is published quarterly. This bird was exhibited at the meeting of
the Zoological Society of London by Mr P. L. Sclater, and an account published
in the P. Z. S. 1862, p. 103, and not to the members of the B. 0. U.— Ed.

176

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

LETTER XXIV. 177

by their legs, bringing them ashore alive. Here they are put
into a dark hut made of wattles and bushes, with an inch or two
of water always running through it, where they are fattened and
killed as wanted. The darkness takes away their wildness, and
prevents them flapping themselves to death in attempting to
escape. The calabash story is of course well known ; but I
always misdoubted it before.

I make an annual visit to Iona and the parts of Mull I used
to frequent, where I never fail to get plenty of all the ordinary
kinds of sea fowl. Last spring I went earlier than usual, and got
a pair of Grey Geese. I observed a number of the small black
Skua, which used to be very seldom seen about the Staffa Islands.
On these occasions I take a hamper, which I fill with Scarts, or
anything which comes to hand, just before starting home. I had
to sail some seven miles in an open boat to overtake the steamer
(not the regular summer boat). The water was studded with
Scarts, but as it was blowing very fresh at the time it was only
possible to shoot those which were right ahead, and pick them up
as the boat rushed past ; yet with this difficulty I and the sur-
veying friend I mentioned before (Mr Colin M'Vean) bagged
thirteen. I am extremely partial to scart soup ; it is identical
with hare soup. I mention this because in a recent number of
the Times newspaper there is a very favourable review of a most
charming book on Normandy, by a Scotch gentleman residing
there, in the style of White's Natural History of Sdbournc (a
lady in Canada asked me if I had ever read Mr Selbourne's
" History of the Isle of Wight " !); but the reviewer, though agree-
ing with the author in everything else, protests against some of his

178 THE BIRDS OP IONA AND MULL.

Norman recipes for cottage cookery, especially that of making
savoury meat of Sea Crows. I have a mind to send a pair of
Phalacracorax to the Times office, with a recipe of how to make
hare soup without first catching your hare.1

I have a book on birds, published in 1805, intelligently written,
though quaint enough according to our notions, which mentions
some instances of the Cuckoo rearing its own young, which I think
I ought to transcribe, as a good correspondent, like a good house-
holder, should bring forth things old and new, in case of their
being turned to possible account. " The Cuckoo in some parts
of England hatches and educates her young, whilst in other parts
she builds no nest, but uses that of some other bird. Dr Darwin
thus writes : 2 — ' As the Eev. Mr Stafford was walking in Glosson
Dale, in the Peak of Derbyshire, he saw a Cuckoo rise from its
nest. The nest was on the stump of a tree, among some chips
that were in part turned grey, so as much to resemble the colour
of the bird. In this nest were two young Cuckoos ; tying a
string about the leg of one of them, he pegged the other end
of the string to the ground, and very frequently for many days
beheld the old Cuckoo feeding these young ones.' Dr Darwin
thus continues from the Eev. Mr Wilmot, of Morley : — ' In the
beginning of July 1792, I was attending some labourers on my
farm, when one of them said to me, " There is a bird's nest on
one of the coal-slack hills ; the bird is now sitting, and is exactly

1 Professor Darwin mentions in The Naturalist's Voyage to have read that the
islanders of the North of Scotland bury the rank carcases of fish-eating birds to
render them eatable. — 0. W. <1. [The Editor has partaken of scart soup, and can
fully endorse the above remarks.]

2 Zoonomia, Section XVI. 13, 5, "On Instinct," Vol. I. p. 244, octavo.

LETTER XXV. 179

like a Cuckoo. They say that Cuckoos never hatch their own
eggs, or I could have sworn it was one." He took me to the
spot. It was in an open fallow ground : the bird was upon the
nest. I stood and observed her some time, and was perfectly
satisfied it wras a Cuckoo.' The reverend narrator goes on to
relate very minute particulars of the pains he took to watch the
progress of the incubation. There were three eggs laid among
the coal slack, in a nest just scratched out like the hollows in
which Plovers deposit their eggs. After some days two young
Cuckoos appeared. Mr Wilmot and several of his friends con-
stantly watched the nest until one was fully fledged. . . .
Aristotle says the Cuckoo sometimes builds her nest on broken
rocks and on high mountains, but adds that she generally possesses
herself of the nests of other birds."

XXV.

Littlehampton, Sussex, 7 th October 1866.

I CAN never hope again to have the opportunities I had while
at Iona of personally watching the birds of the West Coast at
all seasons of the year. My later visits have been temporary
ones, generally in the summer or early autumn, which are
the least interesting for that purpose.1 My late residence
at Lochgilphead, though in the same county and admitting

1 We cannot unhesitatingly endorse this opinion of our author from a natur-
alist's point of view ; and we humbly think that all the seasons have their special
interest ; so much so, that one can hardly be compared with another, when there
is aught at all to observe, as regards their bird-life.— Ed.

180 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

of very great boating and ordinary shooting privileges, was
scarcely a place for good wild fowl shooting ; though one
could hardly sail on Loch Fyne's broad bosom or sneak along its
shores in a punt without seeing something to reward one for the
trouble. Still I have not added much to my notes on the wild
fowl of the West during my seven or eight years' residence on the
margin of Loch Fyne. Where I am at this moment temporarily
located, on the shallow, monotonous shore of West Sussex, it is
almost an event to see a solitary Herring Gull or a disconsolate
Ring Dotterel ; but many of the older " long-shore men " possess
ponderous old duck guns, and spin tantalising yarns of miraculous
flocks of wild fowl, ducks, geese, widgeon, and teal, which used
to swarm here before " the marshes was drain'd."

One old coastguardsman, who was stationed at Pagham when
Colonel Hawker used to frequent that muddy estuary, has told
me many interesting and amusing stories connected with that
great sporting oracle of South Britain, which are unpublished.
It is a great change conversing with a South Coast trawler after
being so long used to the dialect of the Highland fishermen; but the
same spirit is in both — when a man has succeeded in shooting his
Curlew he is as earnest in the account of how he circumvented
her, whether he calls the wary bird a " Crauntag or a Clew."

I see you retain my name as a corresponding member of the
society, though, alas ! it is a mere honorary distinction now.
Rather than not contribute anything at all, I will relate what
came under my observation on the 5 th October last. Though
the Swallow is abundant here, and the Swift very common, we
have not many Martins ; but on this day I observed an immense

LETTER XXV. 181

flock congregated on a projecting moulding running under the
very projecting eaves of a house immediately opposite to mine.
They clustered like bees, two or three deep, scrambling for places,
some continually dropping off and taking short flights, and then
returning again to try to obtain a precarious footing. A sudden
thunderstorm with hail came on in the middle of the day. I
heard a noise in the room over where I sat as if somebody was
moving about. I went up to ascertain who it was ; on opening
the door the rustling noise increased, and I immediately saw the
cause of it. The room was quite alive with little birds ! They
fluttered about on the floor, were entangled in the bed and window-
curtains ; every article of furniture had some perched on it, while
the windows were quite filled with them fluttering against the
panes in vainly attempting to get through, just as bees and butter-
flies do in similar circumstances. A little room adjoining was
equally swarming. The housemaid coming at my call, held up
her hands in dismay at the state of the room — everything covered
with feathers and dirt. She was followed by the cat, which made
short work of two or three, till she was kicked out, and then we
set to work catching the birds and throwing them out of the
window. Catching them was quite easy ; being all Martins they
could not rise readily and merely buzzed about the floor and walls
like moths. As they were all perfectly similar, I only killed one
to keep as a specimen. They were all young Martins — birds of the
year in immature plumage, and small. The window was open, and
is just under a projecting roof, under the eaves of which the whole
vast army was sheltering from the hail, and which took flight the
moment I entered the room ; but the large detachment which had

N

182 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

come right in by the window were entraped and could not escape
without help. I threw over a hundred through the window.

Two specimens of the Grey Phalarope have recently been
secured in this neighbourhood. One I shot myself last week
while it was swimming on a pond some six miles inland among the
downs ; the other was shot the same day, also swimming on a horse
pond two miles nearer Littlehampton. These birds are sufficiently
rare to be of value to the collector, and both have been carefully
preserved. The peculiarity of this little bird is, that though belong-
ing to the order of Waders (Grallatorcs), and otherwise resembling
the Sandpipers in appearance and habits, it possesses the power
of swimming freely, its feet being partially webbed or lobated.

Both specimens are in their winter plumage, and were per-
forming their annual migration south from their breeding places
in Iceland. It was a very unusual place to find them, as they
usually frequent the shores, and are sometimes met with in
northern latitudes far out at sea, occasionally even out of sight
of land. No doubt it was stress of weather that drove them for
shelter and rest into such unlikely spots.1

On 23rd May, at midnight, as I was preparing for bed, I
heard a tapping at the window where I sat with a light ; on its
being repeated I opened the sash and in flew a little bird, which
I found was a White-throat. I kept him all night and released
him in the morning.

Last winter a Richardson's Skua was brought to me alive,
captured by a crew of French fishermen in whose boat it alighted.

1 I once shot one at about the same time of year on the Lake of Neuchatel, in
.Switzerland, showing that they also travel by an overland route. — Note by Chas.
W. Graham.

LETTER XXVI. 183

A little before, a fine Osprey was shot sitting on a clothes-pole
devouring a freshly caught fish. In summer, also, a Spotted Crake
was knocked down near here by a man with a stick. Such shreds
and patches, crumbs of comfort, is all I have to support orni-
thological life upon.

As nothing is too mean for the notice of a Naturalist, I may
mention an observation on the Common House My. In the South
their wings when folded are still slightly opened, furcated, or
dove-tailed, and they are very annoying, alighting on one's face and
hands, especially when one is in bed in the early summer mornings ;
but in Iona the House Fly is much smaller, and the wings shut
together quite close over the back ; and, moreover, though they
dance aerial quadrilles inside one's bed curtains, yet they never
annoy, tickle, bite, or alight upon one's nose, face, or hands, like
their bigger brethren of the South, or, still worse, those of Canada,
where they are a perfect Egyptian plague indoors, as musquitos
are out of doors.1

XXVI.

Littlehampton, Sussex, 2nd May 1867.

Being required to write about the Hebrides from Sussex is like
being asked to sing a pleasant song in a strange land ; however,
I have kept my promise and here are my notes, though they are

1 In other parts of the West of Scotland known to us the Common House Fly is
a perfect pest in July and August, especially by certain river banks when one is
salmon-fishing. — Ed.

184 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

in fact nothing more than shooting reminiscences, probably more
amusing to the writer than edifying to the reader. I have
commenced systematically as you requested ; the only objection
to such an arrangement being that it forces me to begin with the
land birds, whereas as my field of observation, the Lower Hebrides,
to which my notes apply, consists of very little land surrounded
by a great deal of water, my experience, as well as tastes, would
lead me to give the wet birds the preference to the dry birds.
However, with the following " bald, disjointed chat," I get through
all the Eagle and Hawk tribe, and so wash my hands of them.
The list of the little dicky-bird tribe is but short, for as for those
sylvan warblers which frequent woods and bowers we had none
of them. Those we had were such as could rough it in a rock or
scrubby bush and pay for their board and lodging with a song.
Having run through the birds of prey and the small land birds, I
continue with the Wading and Water Fowl, and am glad to get
into salt water again. I rather neglected our little land birds,
and indeed the young companion of my shooting excursions
thought it an amiable weakness of mine to take any notice at all
of such " small deer."

The number of Kingfishers here is worthy of remark. They
frequent the marshes and inundated pastures through the winter
and live solitary.

On the 18th February the Thrush was singing blithely under
the full moon at about 11 p.m. The Cuckoo and Nightingale
were heard here on the 18th March, and the Swallow arrived
on the 19 th March. These are the only notes this barren soil
affords, and with them I conclude.

XXVII.

Iona, November 4, 1850.
My dear Mother, — I send you a pair of magpies as an
addition to the bird book. I hope they will arrive safe, and I
would be obliged to you if you would stick them in. I got my
father's letter saying that the goose came safe, and that he was
going to Paris with Car. You must keep a vacancy open in the
bird book for a splendid fellow which I captured this morning,
and I am now taking his portrait. Poor fellow ! first he is to be
drawn by me, and then by the cook. I will show him off in a
plate, she will serve him up in a dish ; his likeness will exercise
my palette, while his carcase (roasted, and well stuffed with
onions) will gratify our palates. This illustrious stranger is a
greylag goose — a bird peculiar to the Hebrides. I once got one
before, but have not had his picture yet ; it is very different
from the bernacle goose. This morning I awoke by hearing Colin
(who has got a hawk's eye for birds) shouting, " See the goose !
see the wild goose ! " In exactly one minute and thirty seconds
I had my clothes on, and, gun in hand, I was out. The goose
had come and alighted along with our tame geese about thirty
yards from my window. The tame geese, however, drove the
stranger off immediately ; Colin and I set off after him. It has
been blowing a gale here for five days, and to-day was tremendous.
We at last overtook our friend in an open cornfield, where we
could not approach him, so we watched till he went to some
broken ground, then I stalked him carefully. I went to wind-
ward of him, because the wind was so powerful that the shot
would not have carried so far against it, and in such a case it is

186

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

much easier to see as well as to shoot with your back to the
wind. At last, after creeping a good distance, I suddenly popped
up from behind the last bank, and found myself within forty
yards of massa goose. He instantly rose into the air — bang ! —
with a loud cackle he tumbled over and over, and there was my
beautiful greylag goose. I would sooner get him than half-a-
dozen bernacles, as they are much rarer. I am afraid you won't
be much edified with this essay upon goose-shooting ; but then,
only think, a greylag goose ! How delightful ! It's enough to
make one cackle with delight.1

1 The above is illustrated at page 176, the bird there represented being un-
doubtedly a greylag goose. Mr Graham has taken artist's licence, however, by
introducing other examples also. — Ed.

VUJU**^

C/isOvS

EXTRACTS FROM DIARIES, &c.

9,/XU0 VA^>

EXTRACTS FROM DIARIES WRITTEN IN IONA,

INCLUDING THE "WALK THROUGH GLENMORE, IN MULL."

1849. — July 31st. — Went to Soay island. Three stormy
petrels. Letter to Mr .

August 2nd, — Sent petrel to Sir W. Jardine.

■1th. — Shot at Calva island.

7 th. — Walked to Lunig. Lowered myself by a long rope off
Siel island to get an owl's nest.

15 th. — Drew some tombstones.

lQth. — Shot six sanderlings.

17th. — Shot rook — a vara avis here.

190 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

2*7 th. — To Staffa with Mr Baker of Norfolk; he sketched
while I shot scarts.

olst. — Sailed about Island of Storms. Shot a scart and
guillemot.

September 6 th. — Picnicked on top of Staffa.

October 4th. — Launched the ' Scarbh ; ' put some oatcake
and three leeks into the bag. There was already one leak in the
boat, which I got by running into the ' Breadalbane's ' anchor
the other day. Took Dash and the two dodaigs ; landed Mr
M'Vean over the ferry, and then about four p.m. sailed out of the
Sound. Had a stiff' breeze running along the south coast of
Mull ; let fly the sheet two or three times ; night overtook me
as I passed Lochbuie, and the wind fell light and baffling. As I
got fairly into the Sound of Mull, the moon rose ; tide was
setting me south, the wind was variable, and there were passing
squalls of wind and hail. The night looked wild, and I was
afraid of the moon becoming obscured, so I determined to stand
across the Sound at once, and take my chance of what land I
should make. Soon after midnight, as far as I could guess, I
approached an island, where I determined to wait till daylight,
as I saw a bad squall coming up. After coasting a little way
round the lee side of the island, I went into a little bay, where,
to my delight, I found a lobster-box anchored in the middle ; so
I moored the boat to the box, took down the mast, spread the
sail over the stern-sheets, and, creeping beneath it, I wrapped
myself up in my plaid, with my three dogs round me. The
night was squally, and I heard the tide roaring, but the boat
lay very snug, and I slept pretty well, in spite of its being

EXTRACTS FROM DIARIES.

191

rather cold, for, indeed, there was ice in the boat next
morning.

5th. — Soon after daylight, got up, put the boat in order;
breakfasted on my three leeks and oatcake, then hauled the boat

to the shore, and landed to search for water ; found some, and a
quantity of blackberries ; followed a path which led up to a
small house ; the good man quite astounded at seeing a stranger
on his island at that time of day, and still more so when I told

192 THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL.

him that I had left Iona last night. He informed me I was on
the island of Garveloch, five or six miles off the coast of Lorn,
and he was the tenant and sole inhabitant, except his wife and
family. I received a huge basin of crowdie, and in return gave
a bit of tobacco, which the man seized with such avidity as
showed that it was a rare commodity to this " Family Robinson."
About seven o'clock embarked, steering north. When I had left
the island, I observed a furious rapid about half a mile S.E. of
the island, which was what I had heard roaring so loud during
the night. Wind died away, and a dead calm came on, the tide
against me. Landed at Easdail island about twelve ; bought a
pennyworth of bacca, and smoked it. Landed at Ardnacaple,
island of Seil, and smoked a pipe and let a heavy shower pass.
At last reached Loch Feochain at three or four o'clock, having
pulled against a foul tide since sunrise. Found Mr and Mrs
M'Vean with Colin M'Vean. They were much astounded at
seeing me.

6th. — At three a.m., a bright moonlight morning. Down to
the beach and launch ' Scarbh ; ' hard frost, boat crusted with
ice ; had to take off shoes and stockings and wade in above the
knees to get the boat afloat. Pulled away with boy Angus to
Oban ; got there before seven ; hoisted the ' Scarbh ' on board the
' Dolphin.' Mr and Mrs M'Vean arrived by gig ; embarked in
the ' Dolphin,' and at noon got to Iona.

loth. — Went in big boat to Soay island with Colin, M'Millan,
and Mel and Angus, the servants ; had a potato picnic, and dug
up stormy petrels ; had a stiff pull home.

1850. — January 19th. — Drew a golden plover, a heron, and

EXTRACTS FROM DIARIES. 193

a " scarbh." Shot three couples of golden plover and a few grey
guillemots.

26 th. — Shot red-legged gull, and sent it to Edinburgh to be
stuffed.

February 2nd. — Drew loon.

Qth. — To Fiddra in ' Scarbh ' to shoot ducks. Saw flocks of
three dozen bernacle geese. Shot pigeon, hoody crow, and gulls.
16^. — Drew hoody crow, comparative table of gulls' bills,
legs, and quills, and a sketch of Ardfinaig.

1*7 th. — Shot a ring-dotterel, gillebride (oyster-catcher).

23rd. — Drew map of Mull and of Iona. Shot curlew, ring-
dotterel, redshank, puffin.

March 2nd. — Shot buzzard at Tunisnaleuth.

3rd. — Drew buzzard, diver or loon, great northern diver
for Mr Wood of Richmond, Yorkshire.

June loth. — Sailed all round the islets to collect eggs, chiefly
terns and kittiwakes ; nine dozen eggs

July 22nd. — Mr Keddie's visit ; botanising with him ; picnic
to Staffa ; fine sport.

June . — Became acquainted with two ornithological

gents from Glasgow — Mr Kemp and Mr Gibb.1 They had shot
a shearwater. Promised to send them some stormy petrels.

1 Mr John Gibb, merchant, Glasgow, died in March 1885. Mr John Kemp,
born in 1775, attained the great age of 100 years. He was the most faithful and
dear friend and companion of Mr Gibb in all their wild sports together. Both
these gentlemen were enthusiasts in field sports and athletic exercises, and were
naturalists of no mean capacity. They were well-known Scottish sportsmen of
their time, and from the records in our possession it appears that scarcely a
Eebridean, Orkney, or Shetland island had remained unvisited by them, both in
summer and winter. We have not been able to trace, however, as yet any literary
remains from the pens of cither sportsman, though such would, if they do exist,

194 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

July 6 th. — Fell in with a party of shieldrakes while sailing
across the Sound. I immediately shot one old one, and chased
a flock of unfledged ones for two miles, but they escaped me by
their active diving. An old one kept flying about and attempting
to divert my attention, but I did not fire at her.

13th. — Wrote some papers for Mr Keddie's new guide-book.1

9th. — To Soay island; dug up stormy petrels to send to Mr
Kemp and Mr Gibb of Glasgow ; kept eggs for myself.

13th. — Mrs M'Vean and all the children went in the ' Scarbh,'
with the ' Loo-soo ' towing astern, laden with our basket, kettle,
jugs, &c, to Eilean-na-Slat, at the entrance to Iona Sound. It
created much amusement on board the steamer which passed us,
as we were sailing along with all the sails set and flags flying,
and the queer-looking ' Loo-soo ' in our wake.

15 th. — M'Millan and I sailed to Staffa and spent the whole
clay, which was fine and calm there. We did not land much, but
went round the island in the boat, poking into every cave. We
got more birds than one man could well carry up to the house.
Back at eleven p.m. This week I sent off large drawing of west
side of St Martin's Cross to Mr Keddie.

2*7^1. — The beginning of this week wet and stormy. Com-
menced chalk drawing. Collecting seaweeds. There are very
few birds about now, nothing to be met with but gillebride or
oyster-catchers. At Fiddra there are flocks of curlew beginning
to collect, but very wild.

almost without doubt prove of much interest. There are obituary notices in
the newspapers of October 1875, the time of Mr Kemp's death being the 26th
of that month. We are indebted to Mr D. A. Boyd for the above, and fuller
particulars. — Ed.

1 Glasgow : Maclure & Macdonald. — Ed.

19G THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL.

WALK THROUGH GLENMOEE.

1853. — November. — This trip was in October, towards the
latter end, when the weather began to break up. It was a
delightful sunny day that I started about noon from Bunessan,
with my knapsack and plaid, with the intention of walking across
Mull. At five, had dinner at the little inn at Kinloch, egad ain
agus potat (herrings and potatoes), and a drap o' the craytur ;
then oil' again, and when the grey dusk of night was beginning
to creep o'er the mountains, I passed under the foot of giant Ben
M6r, and entered the gloomy black gorge of Glenmore, the great
glen of Mull. It now became intensely dark, so I sat down to
wait for the moon to rise. Not a sound was to be heard in this
desolate region, except the tinkling of the mountain rills, and the
soft sighing of the night wind as it stole round the slopes of the
hill and across the moor, though so gently as scarcely to shake
the heather-bells or to make the white cotton moss bend its head.
Presently the full moon rose up into the clear blue frosty sky,
high above the mountain peaks, which were silvered in her beams.
The winding river and chain of lakelets far down at the bottom
of the glen glistened with her rays, and even the road itself
looked like a river of light curling along the mountain side. I
walked for several hours under this radiant moon till I came,
at about eleven o'clock, to a place called Ardjura, a wooded glen,
through the bottom of which runs a broad river. Here I was
suddenly startled by hearing an extraordinary noise, like that of
a person in the agonies of death, which seemed to proceed from

EXTRACTS FROM DIARIES. 197

the copse by the roadside. I stopped and listened, when suddenly
there burst from every side a roaring like that of a number of
bulls, only a much harsher, more quavering noise, more like a
howl. Now it sounded from the dark cover close at hand,
awakening all the echoes of the valley, and then was answered
from the shoulder of the mountain in a long bray, which rang
upon the clear, still night air, and died away in a lugubrious
groan.

Doran and I quaked, expecting every moment to see a rabble
route of fire-fanged, brazen-lunged demons rush across our road,
which here, over-reached by boughs partially obstructing the
moonlight, seemed tesselated with iyory and ebony.

The noise continued without intermission, and the trampling,
cracklings of twigs, and occasional coughings of some creatures
close at hand among the brake, seemed to be coining closer.
Just as I was about to invoke St Columba's aid, and to vow a
vast number of tapers to be burnt at his shrine, I recollected
that this part of Mull was very much frequented by the wild
red deer, and that this was the time of year that the stags begin
belling or braying, when the antlered chief of the herd,

"... Through all his lusty veins,
The bull, deep-scorch'd, the raging passion feels.
He seeks the fight ; and, idly butting, feigns
His rival gored in every knotty trunk.
Him should he meet, the bellowing war begins."

The very deep roar from the shoulder of the hill proclaimed
" a noble hart of grace " descending the brae-side to dispute the
chieftainship of the corrie with the stags of less degree.

Before I got near to the entrance of the great glen on the

o

198 THE BIRDS OF 10NA AND MULL.

return journey it was nearly three o'clock. The morning, from
being very bright, had gradually overcast, blackened, and now
assumed a most threatening aspect ; the inky-coloured clouds
hung upon the tops of the mountains, and seemed to be charged
with pitch. The wind was very slight, but it wailed and sobbed
through the mountain gullies, and moaned in irregular gusts
over the grey lichen-covered rocks in that peculiarly wild,
melancholy manner which forebodes a dreadful storm. I hurried
on as fast as I could, for I had many miles to walk through

" This sullen land of lakes and fens immense ;
Of rocks, resounding torrents, gloomy heaths,
And cruel deserts black with treach'rous bogs ; "

for I wished to reach the fords lest the coming rains should
make the rivers impassable, and before the darkness of the
evening, which was already closing in with unusual swiftness,
would make the fords dangerous. The clouds now came rolling
down the slopes of the mountains, till everything was obscured
from sight by their pall of blackness. A sudden, sharp blast of
wind flew across the moor ; and immediately it was calm again ;
the ends of my plaid fluttered heavily, once or twice streaming out
before me. Doran, with tail and ears down, ran close up to my
heels, and in a moment, with a crash like thunder, the storm
burst upon us. The irresistible fury of the wind hurried me
along the road as it rushed past, now roaring at my ear, and now
howling and shrieking as it whirled along the valley. The river
and lake foamed and boiled, and then rose up in circling eddies
of spray, like wreaths of smoke, filling the air as the blast bore
it away up the sides of the hill. The rain poured down in hissing

EXTRACTS FROM DIARIES.

199

sheets of water, deluging the whole face of the country ; the road
was covered with water, and every rivulet was swollen into a
fierce torrent, bearing stones, and earth, and peat along with its
turbid, coffee-coloured waters. Add to all this the night soon set
in intensely dark. I hurried on, assisted by the storm on my back,
till at length I came to the rivers, which, happily, were still
fordable, though sufficiently deep and rapid, and every moment

becoming worse. After this the rain became heavier than I think
I ever saw it before (unless in the tropics during the rainy
season) ; it was difficult to keep the road in consequence of the
darkness, but the hollow rumbling of the water pouring into the
bog holes by the roadside gave warning of the danger of a false
step. Happily the twinkling light from the window of Kinloch
Inn was now glimmering through the darkness and storm across
the head of Loch Sciidain, and after a vigorous push for about a

200

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

mile, crossing a narrow footbridge formed of two planks (which I had
to do on all fours), and fording another bad torrent, I at length ran
my nose up against the gable of the house, and, after groping along
to reach the door, I next found myself steaming before a huge fire
of blazing peats roaring up the chimney, which quickly dried the
Iona tartans, and made the outward man all that was comfortable,
while broiled herrings, potatoes, and tea did for the inner ; and then
witli a hot tumbler, a pipe, and feet on the mantelpiece, Doran
and I listened as the casement rattled, the chimney rumbled, and
the storm battered against the gable of the little rattle-trap shanty
of an inn, feeling thankful that we were housed on such a night
as one would not wish one's enemy's dog to be out in.

NOTES FKOM MINUTE-BOOKS.

201

few

lilup: i.

ii'-ii !'io

n yj^*.'.*—! iwuJj.ulWPW.i. " i—jiiij ■ ii .1^.1.

NOTES FROM MINUTE-BOOKS OE THE NATURAL
HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW, &C.1

6^/i January 1852. — Mr H. D. Graham of Iona elected a Corre-
sponding Member.

{Copy Letter from Mr Graham to Secretary.)

"Iona, January \§th.

"Sir, — I write to thank you very cordially for your obliging
letter, which I received by the last post, accompanying the diploma of
the Glasgow Natural History Society. I was delighted by the receipt
of the last, and I hope to derive much pleasure and advantage from
the connection.

" I beg through you, sir, to return my best thanks to that Society
for the honour it has thus done me in electing me a member. — I
remain, sir, yours truly, H. D. Graham."

1 Communicated to the Editor by the courtesy of D. A. Boyd, Esq. ,
Secretary of the Glasgow Natural History Society.

202 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

6th April 1852. — A paper was read by Mr Robert Gray from
H. D. Graham, Esq., Iona, " On the habits of the ice duck (Harelda
glacialis)," illustrated by specimens and drawings.

1st June 1852.— Mr Robert Gray read a paper from H. D. Graham,
Esq., of Iona, upon the rock pigeon. On the motion of Mr Gourlie,
Mr Gray was requested to transmit the thanks of the Society to Mi-
Graham for his interesting communication.

5th October 1852. — Mr Robert Gray exhibited a specimen of the
stormy petrel, and read a letter from Henry D. Graham, Esq., of Iona,
descriptive of its habits.

7th December 1852. — The following communications from Corre-
sponding Members were then read, viz. : — ..." On the habits of
the black guillemot (Uria grylle)" by H. D. Graham, Esq., Iona.
Communicated by Mr Robert Gray.

ith January 1853. — Mr Robert Gray read two very interesting-
letters from Henry D. Graham, Esq., Iona.

1st February 1853. — Mr Robert Gray read two letters from H. D.
Graham, Esq., of Iona.

3rd May 1853. — Mr Robert Gray read a paper by Mr Graham of
Iona, "On the habits of the cormorant."

28^ February 1860. — The secretary read a letter from one of the
Corresponding Members— Mr Henry D. Graham, of Ardrishaig — de-
scriptive of the appearance of wild-fowl in immense abundance during
the present winter on the shores of Loch Gair.

'26th May I860.— A communication was read from Mr Henry D.
Graham, of Ardrishaig, containing many ornithological notices of great
interest for the months of April and May. The species chiefly commented
upon were the great northern diver (Colymbus glacialis), the Sclavonian
grebe (Podicejis cornutus), the golden eye (Clangula vidgaris), and the
various tringse found on the shores in the neighbourhood of his residence.

27th January 1863. — The secretary read a communication from
Henry D. Graham, Esq., Lochgilphead, one of the Society's Corre-
sponding Members, in which he mentioned, as interesting additions
to the ornithology of the West of Scotland, the occurrence of the
gadwall (Querquedida strepera) on one of the Outer Hebrides, and the
red-crested whistling-duck (Fuligula rufina) near his own residence.
He also made the announcement of having seen the harp seal (Phoca
groinlandica, Midler) at the island of Jura.

NOTES FROM MINUTE-BOOKS. 203

'2ith February 1863. — The secretary then read a paper "On the
occurrence of the harp seal (Phoca grcenlcmdica) in Loch Tarbert, Jura,
with remarks on the habits of some other species frequenting the
western islands," by Henry D. Graham, Esq., Lochgilphead, Corre-
sponding Member. Mr Graham had seen three of these rare visitors
to British waters in the above-mentioned locality while exploring the
loch in company with a friend. The seals were observed among a herd
of the common species occupying a series of shelving rocks about 300
or 400 yards off shore. One of the keepers who was of the party
having an excellent telescope used in stalking deer, Mr Graham and
his friends could distinctly make out the markings which characterise
the harp seal ; and as the animals remained in full view for three
hours, constantly watched, the utmost care was taken to note down
the necessary particulars for after discrimination. Since observing the
animals, Mr Graham, after repeated inquiries, satisfied himself of at
least other three authentic cases of the capture of white seals of extra-
ordinary size, one of these occurring in Loch Scridian, Mull, under the
observation of Mr M'Kinnon ; and as a result of these inquiries he had
besides acquired some highly interesting information respecting the
larger species of seal to be found on the outer islands. These he com-
municated in his excellent paper, from which it would appear that,
under the name of tapvaist or tabeist, the islanders are familiar with at
least three different species attaining a large size. Last spring he had
received from a friend — a native of the Hebrides — the skin of a
recently killed young seal of about a month old. It was a pure white,
and measured four feet in length without the flippers. This skin was
accompanied by a few notes, stating that the species was well known,
and that in an adult state it is seven or eight feet long, the body being
fully thicker than a herring barrel. The female has her young in
November, and it is found three or four yards above high-water mark,
sometimes quite among the ferns and heather. The young do not take
to the water till six weeks old, when they weigh 70 or 80 lb. If dis-
turbed, however, the old one will make off with her calf, which she
does by taking it upon her back, and so plunging into the sea. Even
after a long dive, on rising to the surface the young one remains
securely on its mother's back. She comes to suckle it regularly at high
water ; but her instinct teaches her to choose such spots as render it
impossible fur any one either to approach or lay in wait for them with-

204 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

out being seen or scented.1 Mr Graham observed that the descrip-
tion of the markings of this white seal agreed exactly with that of
the harp seal, which is not likely to be mistaken, at least in the adult
state, for any other British species ; but at the same time he expressed
his belief that among the islanders generally there were three large
seals confounded with each other — the grey seal (Halichcerus gryphus),
the great seal (Phoca barbata), and the Greenland seal (P. gramlandica
of Midler).

Mr Gray also communicated some facts of interest in connection
with the cormorant and oyster-catcher, selected from Mr Graham's
correspondence.

1th January 1868. — The secretary then read a paper "On the
birds of Iona and Mull," by Henry D. Graham, Esq., Corresponding
Member.

28th January 1868. — The following papers were then read: —
. . . I. "On the birds of Iona and Mull," by Henry D. Graham,
Esq., Corresponding Member.

31 st March 1868. — The following papers were then read : — . . .
II. " On the birds of Iona and Mull," by Henry D. Graham, Esq.,
Corresponding Member.

2Gth May 1868. — A communication "On the birds of Iona and
Mull," by Henry D. Graham, Esq., Corresponding Member, was then
read.

24th February 1874. — Before proceeding with the business on the
card, the secretary read a communication from Mr Robert Gray,
calling attention to the death of Mr Henry Davenport Graham, one
of the earliest Corresponding Members. Mr Graham joined the Society
in 1852, and since that time many contributions from him have been
read at the meetings, and these were much appreciated for their
accuracy and freshness. Mr Graham was one of the few writers on
birds who combined the strictest correctness with a strong poetic feel-
ing, all his communications showing a high admiration for nature in
her various moods, and a deep insight into bird-life, as observed by
him in the Inner Hebrides. Mr Graham's chief contributions to the
Proceedings of the Society were forwarded from Iona, where he lived
for many years. He had during his residence on that island made
drawings of all the birds he had obtained there and in Mull, and from

1 This account appears almost in duplicate in Letter XXIII. [vide p. 1G7). — Ed.

NOTES FROM MINUTE-BOOKS. 205

these, and materials in his possession, Mr Gray intimated his inten-
tion of bringing out a memorial volume, containing all that Mr Graham
had written on the birds of Iona and Mull for the last twenty years.
On the motion of the chairman, it was unanimously agreed to record
in the minutes an expression of the regret with which the members had
heard of the death of Mr Graham, of whose interesting contributions
to the Society's Proceedings many of them retain a pleasing and vivid
remembrance.

Memorandum. — November 1888. — " I have searched the accumu-
lated papers, correspondence, &c, in my hands, but have been unable to
find any MSS. or documents relating to Mr Graham's communications
to the Society, with the single exception of the letter dated January
16 [1852]. It seems highly probable, therefore, that all correspondence
and other papers were collected by Mr Gray, and set apart for the
preparation of the memorial volume referred to in the minute of
meeting of 24th February 1 874 — a work which he did not accomplish.
Unless the MSS. were returned to Mr Graham, and retained among
his private papers, or sent for publication elsewhere, I cannot account
for their absence both from the repositories of the Society and from
the documents collected by Mr Gray for the preparation of the memoir.

" I regret that I have been unable to obtain any evidence regarding
the publication, in any Journal or Transactions, of any of the com-
munications read before the Natural History Society of Glasgow, but
which were not printed in its Proceedings.1 D. A. B."

1 Some of the Letters, as has already been stated, appeared in successive
numbers of Morris' Naturalist, and are reprinted in the present volume of Mr
Graham's writings. — Ed.

\ BR

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

The Golden Eagle.

Eagles are much less numerous now than they appear to have been
a generation ago, judging from the numerous deserted eyries which
have been pointed out to me by the older natives, among the precipi-
tous cliffs of the south and west coast of Mull, as having been once
tenanted yearly by pairs of eagles. The increased number of guns,
and the ruthless war waged by shepherds against the larger birds of
prey in these later days, sufficiently account for their disappearance, as
sheep-farming extends into the districts once left to solitude and them.
Still an occasional eagle may be seen pursuing his lofty course over the
moors and mountains of Mull and the surrounding islands. A friend,
a few years ago, killed one out of a party of seven, a number which
would have been thought deeply significant in the days when augury
was a fashionable science. In Jura a pair flew close over my head as
I, with a friend and a gamekeeper, were lunching, with our arms piled
at a little distance. As we took them for herons, which are very
numerous there, we made no attempt to demolish them, till they sailed
slowly past without deigning to notice us, leaving us gazing after them
open-mouthed.

The White-tailed or Sea Eagle.
Gaelic, Iolair.
" Iolair-slmil na grein," the eagle eye of the sun. — Ossian's Tcmora.

The same remarks apply to the sea eagle as to the last. Though
not an unusual sight to see an eagle flying in the heavens, I never had

210 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

opportunities of becoming familiar with either kind. We always sup-
posed that they held their royal court and had their nurseries in the
isle of Skye, whose lofty peaks form part of the marine panorama on
our northern horizon. My friend M'Vean has had a tamed one for
some years, which is not kept in confinement, but sometimes startles
strangers by swooping past the windows. He says — " My eagle I
named Honival, after the hill in South Uist where he was hatched.
He is a male, and a very fine bird. I have had him now for four
years, and he has assumed his white tail. He is allowed to fly about
at large, but is not fond of going far, and will always come at the call
of the kitchen-maid who feeds him, and for whom he shows the greatest
affection, and who can manage him even when in most ungovernable
tempers. He has a particular aversion to small boys, and will fly
at one going near him. The only animal he is afraid of is the pig,
and to hear a pig grunt is enough to make him fly off, even if it
should not be in sight. A well-dressed friend ventured one day to
touch him with the point of his fashionable light umbrella, which so
offended Ronival's majesty that he flew at the offending instrument
and literally smashed it, breaking the stick and tearing the silk to
tatters, the owner gladly escaping in unscathed broadcloth himself,
at the expense of leaving his pet paraphiie a spolia opima in the claws
of Jove's irate bird. Usually, however, he is affable enough, and
does no more mischief than occasionally killing a hen or two if his
own dinner is not served up punctually enough ; and this is really great
forbearance, considering he actually lives at large in a poultry yard.
This proves how very domestic this monarch of the cliffs may become,
that though a short-winged flight would carry him to the illimitable
freedom of the neighbouring sea cliffs and mountain tops, he has
never been known to ' stop out of nights ' more than once or twice
during several years' residence."

The Peregrine.

Is frequently seen along the coast hunting for ducks, rock pigeons,
and sea gulls (if they were not flying over the water), but I never
discovered any nesting place, though I have seen the old birds hunting
at the time of the year when they might be supposed to have nestlings.
The presence of a peregrine is often announced by an unusual clamour

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 211

among the hoodie crows, who leave their search for shell-fish, &c,
among the rocks, to follow the nobler rogue with their vulgar uproar,
and as the word is passed along the beach, the mob increases in
numbers and audacity till the falcon is fairly rabbled out of their
district. A peregrine who had just struck a red-legged crow was
thus assailed and so distracted by their unusual pertinacity (probably
on account of the red-leg being one of their cloth), that 1 walked up
and shot him in mid-air, holding his prey in one claw, while the other
was held ready to give the death-blow to any assailant should he
venture within reach of his grip, which they took very good care
not to do. Colquhoun, in his Moor and Loch, mentions seeing a
peregrine's nest on the Bass Rock ; and St John, in his Tour in
Sutlterlandshire, states that he got some eggs at Inchnadamph. He
also adds, apro])os of eggs, the following pertinent remarks (page 14): —
" I found that all the shepherds, gamekeepers, and others in this
remote part of the kingdom had already ascertained the value of this
and other rare birds' eggs, and were as eager to search for them, and
as loth to part with them (excepting at a very high price) as love of
gain could make them, nor had they the least scruple in endeavouring
to impose eggs under fictitious names on any person wishing to
purchase such things. Indeed, I am very sure that many of the
eggs sold by London dealers are acquired in this way, and are not
in the least to be depended on as to their identity."

The Kestrel.

This is by far the most abundant of the hawk tribe with us.
Its nest may be found in almost every precipitous sea cliff, which is
tenanted year after year if undisturbed. One pair made their nest
among the old cathedral ruins of Iona, whose tower is peopled all the
year round by a colony of jackdaws ; and that these jealous republicans
allowed them to do so is proof enough that they had nothing to appre-
hend either on their own account or on that of their nestlings. It is
generally admitted that the kestrel does more good than harm, prey-
ing upon mice and not destroying game : it is a pity therefore that
ignorant gamekeepers persist in destroying it, for the "windhover"
poised in the air as if nailed against the sky is a rural sight dear to
our boyhood, and not unnoticed by the poets. The young kestrel

212 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

reared from the nest becomes a very familiar pet, and may be per-
mitted to fly about at large, as it will not fly away far, and will come
at call and catch small pieces of raw flesh thrown up in the air. I
have seen the kestrel hawking for worms over a newly-ploughed field ;
he alights to devour one and then resumes his search, hovering a few
yards above the ground very perseveringly.

The Merlin.

This active little hawk is nearly as numerous as the last.
Hunting along the rocky shores and skimming with inconceivable
swiftness over the level fields, rising and falling as he tops a stone
dyke with a whirr ! his stiff pinions vibrating in the air. The nest
is not nearly so often met with as the kestrel's. When resting
perched on an overhanging rock, the merlin often betrays its presence
by setting up a querulous cry, half scream, half chatter, and continues
scolding till the object that excites it — a boat or passer-by — has come
within easy gunshot.

The Common Buzzard.

Seems to be extremely rare. T only obtained two specimens ; one
was in the rockiest part of Iona.

The Sparrow Hawk.

The Gaelic for hawk is seabhag (pronounced ahe'ag) ; the smaller hawks are
generally called sjierrak, which 1 thought to be a corruption of the English
sparrow hawk, till I found that it was derived from the word spdir, a claw,
and should be written speir-sheabhag or speir ag.

Is as rare as the last, or nearly so. It may be more frequent on
the mainland side of Mull, where there are some plantations and trees ;
but we must remember that this is where Dr Johnson told Boswell to
take good care of his staff, for he perceived that timber was very scarce
here.

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 21:

Tiik Common Harrier.

The harrier is common, except at breeding time, when he probably
retires to the inland hills ; at all other times he may be met with
hunting along the low land skirting the shores. I have observed that
one will sometimes take the same line of country for several days,
following the same course, and about the same hour. Acting upon
this observation I have waylaid them, or rather put myself in the
expected line of flight, as no strategy is necessary, and have been more
than once rewarded by so cutting off the depradator of chicken yards,
or at least of seeing him go by. The ring-tail, or white rump, which
gives name to the female, is a very conspicuous feature as she flies past.
She gives the idea of a much heavier bird than the male. The male is
a very pretty bird, and is commonly called here the white hawk. One
windy day 1 let one pass me on the sea-shore, mistaking it for a sea-
gull ; a number of the small common gulls were flying and hovering
about, and the colour of the plumage and black-tipped wings were so
similar, that only the different mode of flight suddenly awakened me
to the fact that I had allowed a " white hawk " to escape.

The White Owl.

A stray specimen is seen or shot from time to time on the mainland
of Mull. Though we have a venerable ruined belfry and a moon in
Iona, we have no owl to live in the one, or "mope her melancholy" at
the other; but we kept one, captured in Mull, for some time in the
garden, which became pretty tame, and afforded some amusement by
the consternation his presence occasioned to the small birds, though he
lived in the seclusion and shade of a thick bush.1

The Short-eared Owl.

Is found among the long heather on the moors of Mull, but I never
got its nest.

1 The nearest place I have found the white owl's nesting place was a hole in
the haunch of the one-arched bridge which connects the island of Saog'hail (the
world) with the mainland of Lorn and the rest of the world !

214 THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL.

The Snowy Owl.

Gaelic, Cailleach oidhche — the old woman of the night, though Armstrong says it
should be coileach oidhche — cock of the night (<(h is mute).

I never saw this owl in (Scotland, though I have since in Canada ;
but a very old sportsman, whom I have long been acquainted with, and
whose correctness I can rely on, described to me " a large, perfectly
white owl " flying about the open, flat sandy extremity of Iona by
daylight, apparently hunting for rabbits. This was a good many years
ago, and after some very stormy weather. He bad never seen anything
like it before, either in Argyll or Perth shires, in the course of half a
century's shooting. Others also saw it, and I think my friend the
minister of Iona told me he had seen it himself, but T will inquire of
him if it was so.

The Water Ousel.
Gaelic, Lon uisge — water blackbird.
Ts common in the burns of Mull at all times.

The Fieldfare.

Is an unusual winter visitant, only driven to our shores by hard
weather. The arrival of a flock was announced to me by an old shep-
herd, who declared he had seen " a number of birds like starlings ;
they were starlings indeed, but that they must be very old ones, for
they were hoary with age ! " This is one instance of the readiness with
which such men leading an out-of-door life observe anything unusual in
the way of birds or any other appearance of nature which may cross their
path, though not directly connected with their own daily avocations,
nor personally interesting to themselves. I have always trusted to
shepherds, fishermen, and such men, detecting the advent of a stranger
of this kind, and of willingly giving all the information that may be
required, if you keep on easy speaking terms with them. They readily
enter into your enthusiasm on the subject, and consider it a sort of
honour to their beat or district to have a rarity captured upon it.1

1 Quite true ; but whilst on the one hand it is often difficult for a "humble
inquirer after truth," who is not intimately acquainted with the peculiarities and
idiosyncrasies of the Celt, to distinguish between the true and the untrue, or to
get at the facts of the case, it must be remembered also that the "imparted

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 215

The Red Wing.

The red wing visits us fitfully in winter during hard weather, and
shelter themselves among the little glens and hollows of the hills.

The Song Thrush.

Gaelic, Sme6rach. Smeor is to anoint, to grease— probably from the smoothness

of its liquid notes.

Except during the breeding season the thrush is abundant, but as
that period approaches the greater number disappear, though a few
pair remain in our treeless islands and make the best of any stunted
bush that may serve the purpose of building in, so that the mavis'
melodious pipe is by no means wanting on these rocky shores. I have
often heard him making St Columba's hoar old shrine ring with his
sweet notes, and be answered by a feathered comrade from the inland
rocks and knolls.

The Blackbird.
Gaelic, Lon, or Lon dubh.

This favourite is also a winter bird, though a few pair breed
wherever they can find a suitable spot ; but the greater number come to
us only to pick up a winter subsistence, and then not only collect about
the gardens, stackyards, and abodes of man, but single individuals start
up from behind the grey-lichened rocks on the moors, or dart with wild
screams down the little gullies, where they are screening themselves
from the gale and mist sweeping along the hillside. These seem much
wilder and shyer than those which hop so familiarly about our gardens.1

enthusiasm " spoken of in the text is apt sometimes to lead to quite unintentional
exaggerations ; or it may be a spirit of fun or mischief may intrude. This form
of pleasantry even crops up at times amongst educated persons, who have lived
long enough amidst the isles, to participate in the Celtic sense of humour, which
we need hardly demonstrate is not always understood by the Sassenach. — P]d.

1 It may be remarked that the word lon, according to Armstrong, means
both blackbird and elk, and in Campbell's Tales and Legends he tells us that the
old blind giant of the Fingalian times was always lamenting over the good old
times of his youth, when the thigh-bone of the blackbird {lon) was bigger than
that of the red deer of these degenerate days [fiiadh).

The great Irish elk is supposed to have been still extant when the aboriginal
Briton hunted the wild bull, the bear, wolf, and beaver, so that the venerable
giant had good cause to regret the decline in size of his venison, if by lon he

216 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

The Ring <)usl:l.

Though I never procured a specimen, " the Ion dubh, with a white
ring round his neck," was recognised by the description as common in
Mull.

The Wheatear.

This welcome pretty harbinger of spring and fine weather pene-
trates to all the islands that I have visited. I have found its nest in
the vestibule of a stormy petrel's habitation, being within the enlarged
mouth of its burrow, on the little spray-swept islet of Soay, near Iona.
On the larger islands it is seen flitting about the sheep pastures from
one stone dyke to another, often making its nest in the interstices of
the rough stone fank, or enclosure into which the wild hill sheep are
driven at shearing time. In my boyish days the wheatear was in great
demand in Sussex for the table, where it was served up on fried vine
leaves, under the name of the English ortalan. It was captured by the
Southdown shepherds in traps, formed by very neatly cutting out an
oblong wedge of turf, leaving a deep trench about twelve inches by six,
across which is stuck a bit of stick, like a butcher's skewer, supporting
two horse-hair nooses. The turf is then laid with its grassy side down-
wards across the trench, leaving an aperture at each end uncovered, into
which the confiding wheatear is expected to hop while searching for a nest-
ing place, or seeking shelter from a passing shower, and so get entangled in
the treacherous nooses. These traps were cut about ten yards from each
other in continuous lines, stretching miles over the undulating Downs,
so that the shepherd when taking his daily rounds had only to lift the
turf slightly to discover whether there was any capture. At the end
of the season the inverted turf was replaced, leaving scarcely a mark
on the pasture. In this way great quantities were taken and brought
to market at a shilling a dozen. This practice seems to be discontinued,
as I now see no such traps where they used to be so common about
Beachy Head.

meant the elk, the extinction of which must have been a severe loss to fion or
"deer-eaters" — the name being derived from fiadh dhuinne, "wild man" or
"wild deer men " (the dh is mute in both words), so descriptive of a savage man
subsisting by the chase, such as were the original Fenians.

THE BI11DS OF IONA AND MULL. 217

The Stone Chat.

Is a common bird in Mull and Iona. I have often been startled
by his note in some wild solitary spot. It so exactly resembles the noise
made by chipping a rock with a hammer, that I have hurriedly looked
round expecting to see a stray geologist tapping a vein of gneiss, but
of course only to see a quaint little bird with a black head sitting on a
bunch of heather making this odd note of defiance at me.

The Redbreast.

Robin makes himself at home in any of the islands where man has
his habitation, and meets with as much hospitality as in any other
portion of the British Isles. The crevices in the old ruins give him an
endless selection for nesting sites.

The White-throat.

Is occasionally met with in Iona among the shelter of the little
glens

The Gold-crested Wren a\d Blue Titmouse.

These pretty little birds do not visit the smaller islands, though
they are plentiful enough on the mainland of Lorn and lower Argyll-
shire, where there are copses and hedges to shelter them.

The Hedge Sparrow.

Is abundant wherever man has made his abode, hopping about our
little gardens and cultivated patches, contented to remain where he
can find anything like a few bushes or shelter for himself and his little
nest, and picking up his subsistence without wandering far from home.

The Grey Wagtail.

Is a not unfrequent summer visitor, but less abundant in the isles
than on the mainland.

The Pied Wa<;tail.

This familiar little bird is met, with on all tin; inhabited islands,
Hitting about the pastures in summer, and tripping about the poultry-
yard and the precincts of the byres in winter. A hen will often make

218 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

a savage rush at the little intruder with the intention of peeking it,
very like an irate dame running at a small hoy " to lend him a box o'
the ear." The wagtail, of course, easily evades the onslaught of the
hen, and alights again within a yard of her tail with a flirt of his tail
and a cheery tee-wheet, seeming to say, "All right, old lady! don't
bother yourself on my account ! " I suppose the more marked plumage
of the wagtail attracts the attention of the poultry more than the
equally pert but less motley clad sparrows ; and a fact that favours
this supposition is that of a tame canary escaping from its cage and
eventually alighting in the hens' yard, where we expected easily to
recapture it, but before any of us could interfere the hens flew at the
interesting foreigner and demolished him.

The Meadow Pipit.

Is common enough all summer time, but whether they remain
through winter or not I do not recollect observing.

Thi: Rock Pipit.

I look on this little bird with peculiar interest and affection
from the very unusual haunts and habits that he affects. Though his
appearance is so like that of his congeners of the woods and meadows,
yet you find him at home on the remotest and most desolate islets,
round which the restless surges moan unintermittingly from year's end
to year's end. When stalking sea-fowl among the huge sea-beaten
rocks, there you are sure to meet the irrepressible rock pipit on the
slippery rock within a few feet of the boiling surf, and the sight of the
little, modest shore-going bird in such a scene of savage wildness and
isolation is almost comforting and reassuring, as though there could not
be danger where such a delicate, feeble creature finds himself comfortable
and secure. On such occasions he shows no alarm at your appearance,
as if knowing you had no designs against him, but only salutes you
with a wild tweet, and does not suspend his busy inspection of the dubs
of water left by the retiring waves. This quiet, confidential demeanour
earns your gratitude ; it is so unlike that of the fussy, red-shank
"tatler," who would have alarmed and ai*oused the whole coast with
all his call and clamour, his unnecessary tumult ; and you leave the
gentle bird behind, to find another one of the same species enjoying

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 219

himself in a still more horrible spot, and apparently ready to alight on
your gun-barrel as you level it over a breastwork of wave-polished
rock at (say) a party of golden eyes riding buoyant as corks just out-
side the broken water. I picked up one rock pipit, recently killed, that
was cream-coloured, so much so that my boat-mates declared I had
discovered a dead canary bird. Did his unusual colour attract the
attention of some other bird and so lead to his death t The hoodie
crows which flock in such numbers to feed at ebb must be most
unamiable companions for these poor little pipits of the rock.1

Tiik Raven.
Gaelic, Fitheach, which gives name to several places, probably from being the
site of a raven's nest. Craigan am JV ick. The raven's rock was the slogan
or war-cry of the MacDonnels.

Though the ravens are not very numerous, yet a day can scarcely
be spent upon the moors, or even sailing among the

" Isles that gem
Old Ocean's purple diadem,"

clustering round the west coast of Mull, without at least hearing the
hoarse bark of a pair of ravens flying high up in the air. On a calm
day you hear the whistle of their stifl* quill feathers each time they
strike the air, as they sail slowly along at a great height, and no doubt
carefully observant of everything within ken of their bold cunning
eyes, far below and extending far around. Gloak ! gloak ! the leader
hoarsely cries from time to time ; and gloak '. gloak ! his consort
replies, in tones a little softened by greater distance, and so they glide
away out of sight and hearing into mere black specks, bound on a
predatory cruise to look after young lambs on the lower haunches of
Ben Mor. The old Vikings could not have adopted a more significant
emblem than this bold ravener, not only on account of his instinctive
love of blood and plunder, but also for his wonderful hardiness and
contempt for the extremes of weather and climate. I have seen him
buffeting against a Hebridean gale of wind in full swing, and braving
the terrors of a Canadian winter snowstorm, when no other fowl showed
a feather — acting up to the maxims of the Norsemen, "never to strike
sail, blow high or blow low, and never to surrender till they had re-

1 Albinos are constantly persecuted by members of their own species even
unto death. — Ed.

220 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

ceived twelve bad wounds." A pair of ravens breed on Tuna, and
having one season harried their nest of five eggs, they at once com-
menced building another in a still more inaccessible spot on the other
side of the island.

The Hooded Crow.
Gaelic, Fionnag, which is derived from skinning or flaying.
The black carrion crow is unknown in the western isles, as far as
my experience goes, but to make up for it there is no end of hoodie
crows. The hoodie has got a terribly bad name, and his best friend
could not say much in his favour, supposing he ever had a friend, which
I do not suppose is possible. A greedy, cowardly, destructive creature,
with an ugly look and hateful voice. But though no doubt ready
enough to commit any villany upon young game, eggs, chickens, and
even young lambs, yet in these wild districts, where there is not much
game to injure, he picks up his subsistence on the bountiful supply
afforded by the receding tide, and upon this multiplies exceedingly ;
indeed, at feeding time, I might often string five or six at a shot, as
they are too fat and impudent to get out of the way. Sometimes a
grave synod of these sombrediued creatures will be gathered round a
stranded fish ; another flies up in the air with a crab, which he lets
fall to be broken on the rocks beneath. If he fails the first time, he flies
a little higher, but he always descends himself so quickly as to alight
almost at the same instant as the desired morsel, perhaps lest one of
the brethren should put in a claim for it. On the grass above high-
water mark are certain favourite rocks where the hoodies carry the
molluscs they have picked up to be cracked at their leisure, and these
favoured spots are marked by perfect mounds of debris of shells.
While busy searching for food, little noise is heard among them, unless
a heron or a hawk comes sailing by, and any large bird of this kind is
instantly assailed by all the voices and the united strength of the
company, which cordially join in frightening off the interloper. They
roost at night among the rocks, and in summer their nests are very
abundant there, though the birds are not so numerous then, as many
of those who only sought winter coiarters on the shore retire elsewhere
to breed. The nests are generally easily accessible, and the birds are
very persistent in replacing the eggs if taken, and rebuilding the nest
if destroyed. I have tried the experiment of putting bantam's eggs,

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 221

daubed with indigo, in the place of the crow's eggs, and have removed
the newly-hatched chickens before the foster-mother discovered her
mistake. This implies, of course, a good deal of watching and intru-
sion, which the old birds did not mind in the least ; indeed, though
the hoodie has plenty of cunning, he has not a particle of shyness or
modesty. On the first tine day in February the hoodie may be heard
uttering his love note. He is not a bad-looking fellow then in his ash-
coloured doublet, with glossy black sleeves, hood, and tail. He sits
perched on some high rock basking in the sun, his stomach no doubt
well tilled, the picture of a sweet, unctious rogue, and emits a note like
"corrack," with rather a metallic ring, and much more jubilant than
his own usual dull caw. Indeed, this sound is so connected in my
mind with a bright sun, a smiling blue sea, and the first burst of
spring, that, were I a poet, I should feel inspired to address an ode to
the hoodie as the herald of spring-time. When he utters this vernal
note, he opens his wings and tail after the fashion of the cuckoo, and,
in a word (as love is said to transform the savage), the hoodie looks
almost handsome at such times. One of our most amusing pets was a
hoodie crow, whose wing was amputated at the pinion after being shot,
and lived a long time in the garden, where he laboured most assiduously
in destroying every kind of vermin ; and whenever any one opened the
gate, he would come forward with a hop, skip, and a jump, and look
up with one goblin eye, as much as to say, "What have you got for
poor old hoodie'?" I am obliged to conclude by bringing up a nearly
obsolete saying, which would go to prove that this bird was considered
a very serious scourge in bygone days, at least in one part of tin-
kingdom —

" The gule, the gordon, and the hoodie craw,
Are the three worst things that Moray ever saw."

The gule is, I believe, the rag-weed. What the gordon was to the
low country farmers of Moray needs no explanation.

The Jackdaw.

We have plenty of daws all the year round, plentifully diffused
over the isles and the mainland. A colony of about thirty constantly
inhabit the cathedral tower of [ona, roosting on its summit at night,
and making their nests in it at the bleeding season. Though only
disturbed by the parties of summer visitors, which keep them wheeling

222 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

round and round the ruin during their short stay, and so permitted to
breed in their inaccessible haunt unmolested by man or boy, they do
not add to their numbers. At the end of the season the original thirty
remain, neither more nor less ; and I know of no other breeding place
either in Iona or the opposite shores of Mull, though suitable caves and
cliffs abound along the coast. The colony of jackdaws is a feature so
connected with the tower that I have never seen a sketch of Iona
Cathedral in which the artist has omitted to represent the flock issuing
from its summit in a string.

Their common name with us is Corraclian, from Corrach — a cliff;
though Armstrong only gives Cottiay (Ca' ag) — a name derived from
its cry.

The Rook.

Is a winter visitant only to the islands, though it then comes in
flocks, which remain for some time. Shepherds have assured me
that though they would come day by day to feed in Iona, they
never stopped the night, but recrossed the Sound to roost in Mull,
though there are no trees even there within reach. Certainly I have
continually met them at dusk flying low over the sea towards the
precipitous shores which bound the southern shores of Mull. There
are several rookeries on the mainland. One, for instance, at Achan-
dorrach, Mr A. Campbell's residence, close to Lochgilphead ; another
on the opposite shores of Cowal. The inhabitants often cross over to
feed in winter, but invariably return at night, and whenever I have
been belated on the water shooting wild fowl, I have met them stream-
ing home in small parties flying close above the boat, and have often
nearly led me into tiring into them by mistake.

The Magpie.

Is well known on the mainland, but a very unusual straggler on
our islands.

The Chough or Red-legged Ckow.

This is by far the most beautiful of all the tribe, as lively as the
jackdaw, but far more elegantly shaped, and more graceful in his
movements ; his plumage, though as black as the blackest of the crows,
shines as brilliant as burnished steel, with blue and purple reflections,
and on the neck and body is of a soft silky texture ; his legs and long

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 223

slender curved bill are of coral vermilion, contrasting with the jet
black of his plumage. His sprightly manner, as he alights on the
emerald green turf at a very short distance, and chaw, cliaivs at the
intruder with half-extended wings and inclinations of the body, render
him a charming fellow, once seen never to be forgotten. Three pair
at least annually breed at Iona. Two nests are placed in a sea cave
very difficult of access ; the third is on the tower of the cathedral
among the jackdaws, with whom they seem on the best of terms, often
feeding with them abroad, and accompanying them home to this
roosting place even when not nesting, and is the only bird admitted
to this privilege, all others, especially crows and hawks, instantly being
ejected on venturing to rest upon this sacred altitude. This reminds
me of my old letters to you contributed to The Naturalist, where, at
p. 217, E. K. B. supports my opinion against that of Mr Knox by his
own observations on the " friendly relations subsisting between the
two birds in question." Indeed, having referred to those letters, I
do not think I need dwell further on the subject of this interesting
bird, as I think I there mentioned all I can say on the subject. I can
only add that I have subsequently seen them in Wales, and also in
Cornwall, where a pair played around me on the green heights of the
fearfully wild coast between Tintagel and Bude. Their voice and
gesticulations seemed so familiar to me that they seemed to speak a
language that T understood, and I found it hard not to recognise in
them my own old favourites, who were expressing their surprise and
congratulations at meeting an old friend in the solitary pedestrian so
far from home. The red-leg, though not gregarious, does not avoid
society, but they mostly lead a solitary life, that is, in single pairs, as
if quite content with one another's society all the year round, appar-
ently very much attached to each other, and always full of cheerful
gaiety.1 It is probable that in Wales and Cornwall the increase of
population and of cultivation is gradually reducing their numbers, but
I cannot see that such should be the case in our wildernesses, where
the population is rather decreasing, where a pair are hardly shot in the
same number of years, and where the cliffs, and caves, and hillsides,
though a good deal the worse for wear and tear, are otherwise in the
same condition as when first fixed up prior to Adam's time.

1 In the west of Ireland, however, they are often seen in flocks feeding
together, and also in Cornwall. — En.

224 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

The Starling.
Gaelic, Druid (pronounced trootch). The word druid also means to close,

to shut up.
In summer many starlings nestle and rear their young among
the crevices of the ruins of Iona, where their chatterings and queer
noises are heard incessantly from dawn to dusk. Through the winter
they also assemble here to roost, and entertain themselves preparatory
to retiring for the night by a display of mimicry, and rival one another
in producing queer noises. The imitation of the curlew's quavering
whistle is perhaps the happiest execution. In the winter, too, they
assemble in very considerable flocks while feeding in the fields, and
are so noisy that they may be heard a long way off, and be easily
stalked and watched from behind a stone dyke. They present at such
a time a general scene of clamour and confusion, half-a-dozen pitched
battles are going on at the same time in the midst of a universal Irish
row, and more fun than fighting. A great many may be shot at such
a time, and they are eatable in a pie. (I make it a rule in general to
eat what I shoot, unless killing for the paramount duty of obtaining a
skin or a specimen.) When not feeding, starlings often amuse them-
selves by flying about with great velocity, the whole flock formed into
a solid mass, which darts about in the air, changing its formation like
military evolutions. They do this when threatened by a hawk, which
seems a mistaken instinct, for though they dodge about with great
celerity and swiftness, the hawk charges through the whole block, and
emei'ges on the other side with a struggling victim in his claws. It is
like a human panic, where terror-stricken people crowd together with
a fancied idea of security.

The Green Grosbeak.
Is common all the year.

The Twite.

Flies in dense flocks during the winter months, frequenting the
stubbles and stackyards for feeding in principally, but ai'e often found
on the low strips of land skirting the shore, and on wild parts of the
hills where there is pasture. When the sun begins to get strength in
the beginning of spring, .1 vast number will congregate on some sloping

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 225

bank which catches all its rays and is sheltered from the wind, and
there practise their singing ; and though it is not possible to make out
any particular song, the united voices of so many little choristers is
very sweet, and may be heard a long way off. If disturbed, they start off
in a whirl, uttering their cry of tiveet, tweet. They are very little birds,
and the males among those that remain in summer have the red crown
and pink breast. 1 suppose them to be the mountain linnet and the
greater redpole.1

Tin; Common Sparrow.
Breeds abundantly in the ruins of Iona and elsewhere, of course
keeping close to the habitations of man, and is otherwise of the same
habits as his city brethren.

The Common Bunting.
All the stackyards and stubble fields abound with the corn bunting
in winter ; and in summer his monotonous little song is heard from
every stone dyke and thatch-roof shieling, and his nest is often found
in the grass.

The Yellow Hammer.
Gaelic, Buidheag bhealaidh (bu'eak velai') — i.e., the yellowling of the broom.
The English is the same as the German Gold-ammer : and may not bunting
be from bunt — gay, lively, brisk?
Is resident, but not very numerous.

The Snow Bunting.
This very interesting winter visitor does not remain with us long at
a time, but is blown here by hard gales or driven by unusual frost, and
at such times the little flocks or parties that arrive affect the seashore,
where they trip about like dotterel on the sand. This is almost the only
little land-bird known to be identical in both hemispheres. I have
met it wheeling about the frozen surface of Lake Ontario more than a
mile from shore, and have seen them (with the thermometer 20° below
zero) driving about in large flocks, mingling with the snowtiakes
which darkened the air, as the bitter blast bellowed over the whitened
plain. When man and beast are housed, and even the domestic fowls,
with frost-bitten combs and toes, huddle in their roost; when ill
manner of beast and bird is either far away in the south, or else in
1 We have seen both species in Iona in the month of June. — Ed.

226 THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL.

byre or stall, or den or nest, the hardy little snowflake is whirling
about at his ease in the terrible blast, which would be death to almost
any other living creature. This and the little blue sparrow, called the
snowbird or chipbird, are the only two birds which brave the whole
Canadian winter ; but the latter is domestic, and clings to man's abodes
for shelter and sustenance.

The Skylark.

Gaelic, Uiseag (pronounced ooshak).
"Guth na fasin uiseag," the voice of the lonely lark. — Ossian's Tavra.
There is a large stone in Ayrshire called Cam na uiseag, the lark's cairn,
which the country people say marks the grave of Ossian. The legend probably
originated from the resemblance in sound of the words Ossian and uiseag.

On the cultivated fields, the lower pastures, and all the coast
lands of Mull and Iona, the lark is very abundant, and the more
welcome as being almost the only songster we possess. The praises
of the lark have been so much celebrated on shore by poets, that I
will only add that the effect of its song is equally exhilarating when
heard on the water. After knocking about all night in an open boat
on the dark waters, amidst sharp squalls, and rapid tides, and the
occasional looming of a phantom ship apparently bearing right down
upon you, hearing only the sighing of the wind, the wash of the waves,
and the distant angry moan of breakers chafing against a reef, as day
breaks we make the entrance of the loch we are bound for, and
instantly enter calm water ; the light brightens every minute, the
sail is becalmed, but the flowing tide swirls rapidly inwards, carrying
the boat along without any exertion of our own : no more " Look out
ahead ! " " Tend the sheet ! " " Mind your helm ! " We have only to rest
and watch the first rays of the morning sun gilding the steep shores
of the narrow inlet, and as we enter we are received by a burst of
choral music, thrushes and blackbirds responding to each other from
the opposite banks, and above all, high up in the air, the larks singing
their morning orisons. Or perhaps the song of the lark is still more
remarkably exhilarating when starting off by boat on a fine clear
morning bound for the distant purple islands which hang upon the
dark-blue horizon. As the boat runs along the low coast, skimming over
the crisp blue waves, the larks spring up one after the other, con-
tinuing a succession of merry carols ; and when the last point is passed,

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 227

and the boat stands out into deep water, and the land begins to
diminish astern, as long as we can distinguish the white sandy bays
and the green turf beyond, we still hear the jubilant chorus of many
larks filling the air above, though growing fainter and fainter as the
sea breeze now fairly fills the sail and the boat settles down to
her work. At such a time it is almost impossible to refrain from
bursting out into song one's self, or shouting or doing something to
demonstrate the exulting feeling of sympathy with the scene around,
which thrills within one's breast and circulates in one's veins, and
must find vent.

Though remaining through winter, the larks are more plentiful
in summer.

The Common Wre.w
Gaelic, Dreollan, which also signifies a silly person, or fool, which is not at all
applicable to the little wren, though the word is singularly like the French
un drdle, a funny, comical person — a rogue.

We have plenty of wrens frequenting the gardens and the neighbour-
hood of our houses and byres. They are commonly seen flitting about
on the dry stone dykes, and when startled they frequently disappear
into one of the interstices and emerge again some paces further on
with a merry little chirp, most tantalising to any dog or cat which
may have been pursuing.

The Bullfinch.
Is found on the mainland of Argyll.

The Chaffinch.

Is very common, yet I have never seen them on the smaller islands
nor in Mull, though they may visit the more cultivated island of
Islay.1

The Cuckoo.

Cuacli. the Gaelic name of cuckoo, is derived from the bird's cry ; but the same

word also means Jiotrl, whence the low country word quaich.

At the usual time of year the welcome sound of the cuckoo's cry
is heard in all the moorlands, peat mosses, and broken land, half scrub

1 Saw large flocks of males in the stubble fields on the east of Mull in the
autumn of 1886.— C W. <i.

228 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

and half rock, the birds usually selecting some slight eminence or
knoll, whence they keep calling and re-echoing each other's cry, so
that such favourite spots often get named after them, as Mono,' chuich,
the cuckoo's moor ; Dun chuich at Inveraray, Penicuik, kc.

The Goatsucker.

Is not common, though I have heard them buzzing in the stunted
underwood which grows in patches among the rocks of West Mull,
and have taken its solitary egg lying on the bare ground.

Swallows.

The martin is far more abundant than the chimney swallow, being
our common swallow, known as the Gobhlan gaoithe (go'lan gu'ie), the
little forked thing of the wind. The martin or martlet is a heraldic
figure represented without legs, and from the bird's supposed habit
of living in the air without ever touching the earth, is emblematic
of the Holy Spirit, and is the arms of the ancient abbey town of
Arundel. It is also the distinction given in heraldry to the fourth
son of a house, and is intended to intimate that he must depend on
himself to rise in the world. The Glasgow city arms contain both
the martlet and the fish holding a ring, the emblem of Christian
baptism, or of the second Person in the Holy Trinity.

The Swift.

Is not a common bird, though one pair have a nest in the tower
of Iona Cathedral.

I extract the following from a little book on ornithology, published
in 1807, as illustrating the idea people had of birds migrating sixty
years ago : —

"They (the swallows) are very strong of wing, and will remain a
great while untired in the air. This makes their migration probable.
They pass, as is believed by some, to France, and thence they can by
easy journeys reach Gibraltar, whence their passage to Africa is very
short. Others, however, have collected facts, or made observations
which they believe establish their opinion that swallows do not
migrate, but remain torpid either under water, or in the hollows of

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 229

cliffs or rocky caverns between the months of September and April."
Of the sand-martins, " these, it is highly probable, pass the winter
among dead reeds at the bottoms of lakes, pools, and slow rivers.'1
Again, of the wheatear, "From Hastings, a little to the east of Beachy
Head, the coast of France is visible on a clear clay, and opposite Dover
is the narrowest part of the channel. A strong and steady west wind
would blow these voyagers so short a distance in a very little time.
But if so, when and how do they return1? Mr White calls them the
Sussex bird ; but the wheatear is certainly not peculiar to that county."

The Rock Dove.

On looking over my old letters to you, published in The Naturalist,
I come to the conclusion that I can add nothing to the remarks that
I sent you concerning the rock dove, except that in my long residence
subsequently on the shores of Loch Fyne I never once saw it, though
the wood pigeon (unknown in Iona) was abundant. I need only
repeat that the rock dove abounds in Mull and Iona, breeding on all
the rocky shores and remaining all the year.

Black Cock.

Gaelic, Coileach dubh — black cock. The female — Cearc fhraoich — hen of
the heather.

On the wild tracts of land on the south-west of Mull the black
game nourishes much more abundantly than the red grouse ; you
meet one brace of the latter to ten of the former in a day's walk over
the moors and mosses.

Red Grouse.

Gaelic, Eoin rua' — red bird.

Is not so abundant as the last, perhaps for want of artificial
encouragement and protection.

Ptarmigan.

Exists on Ben Mor in Mull, whence I have seen specimens procured
in their snow-white plumage.

Q

230 THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULT,.

The Heron.

Except during the breeding season this great bird is an accessory
to our coast scenery, forming a conspicuous feature in every rocky
bay and lonely sand flat, when the tide has begun to recede, standing
immovable, watching for their prey. A slight motion of the head and
neck, a levelling of the beak for aim, and a moment's suspense, usually
precedes the lightning dart of head and bill under water, which emerges
grasping some small writhing object which is quickly swallowed down,
and followed by a shake of the head and bill, a comfortable shrug, and
then a few steps deeper into the water, following the ebbing tide.
When feeding in the pools among the rocks they are exceedingly wary
against surprise, but on open sandy shores they are less shy, and will
often allow a moderately near approach, and a party of seven or
eight may be watched in such situations following their avocation of
fishing. Though so numerous in winter, none remain to breed for
want of trees. The nearest heronry I know is at Sir John Orde's seat
at Lochgilphead, Kilmory Castle ; but they build on the ivy-clad rocks
at Ardnamurchan Point, and the gamekeeper at Inverlussa, Isle of
Jura, assured me that they made their nests on the ground on the
top of a steep high bank near the house, as St John mentions their
also doing on an island of a loch in Sutherland. In both these
places they no doubt feel themselves safe against human enemies ; and
as to rats and vermin, no doubt they know too much of the heron's
sharp eye and sharper bill to venture near her nursery. Having no
trees, when residing with us the herons roost on secluded, rocky
islets, on certain of which, if visited by boat at high-water and
approached noiselessly, a party of near a dozen or so may be surprised
dozing together in the shelter of a high rock. Standing on one long
stiff leg, their feathers all fluffed up in a great ball, with only the
tip of the bill protruding, they look like a circle of great grey mops
stuck in the ground. At the sight of a visitor among them^away
they go, flapping and floundering, with every mark of consternation,
but in perfect silence, till, having got some little distance and fairly
on the wing, they come wheeling round to examine the cause of all
their terror, and then scold him with braying screams for having
given such a shock to their nerves. When winged, a heron will walk
away among the rocks, cowering down and trying to conceal his tall

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 231

form as much as possible, his bright yellow eye vigilantly watching
his adversary. When brought to bay, he defends himself valiantly,
lunging out wickedly with his long rapier-like bill, quickly recovering
himself in guard like a master of fence, and uttering such a dreadful
discordant outcry, that on one such occasion, when picking up a wounded
heron near a small fishing village, I was quite expecting the women
to come out, supposing a child was being killed. A heron roasted is
eatable cold, and that is all that can be said, though happily the
carcase is surprisingly small for such a large conspicuous bird as a
heron is in life. It is from being observable so far off and his known
wariness that often makes it irresistible to try and stalk the heron.
They are more easily approachable by boat, and at Lochgilphead, where
they are unmolested out of respect to the owner of the neighbouring-
heronry, they allow the fishing boats to pass and repass them when
they are wading in the shallows of the loch without any concern.

We always knew it as the corra-ghriblieag (corra-kree-ack), the
timid or flurried crane. It is also called the corra-ghlas, the grey crane;
and in the Gaelic Bible the corra-mhonaidh, the crane of the moors.

A rocky peninsula in Iona is named corr-eilean, the crane's isle.

The Woodcock.

Gaelic, Coileach coille — cock of the wood ; and Crom nar auileag, or Croman
coillteach — the crooked thing of the leaves, or crookhill of the woods.1

Arrives in flights at the season of migration, but for want of
sufficient cover does not remain in any sufficient numbers to yield
good cock-shooting ; but the island of Jura is famed for this sport.
A party of peat -cutters came upon a young brood of woodcocks on
the mosses opposite the island of Iona, and brought me one of the
young downy chicks they succeeded in captui'ing.

1 Coillteach, of the woods, sylvan, is the original of the word kelt, ' ' the men
of the groves," the wild man of the woods, applicable to the Celtic races as
worshippers in the groves of oaks or as foresters and hunters, and most especially
to the inhabitants of the woody hills of Caledonia. Coille-dun or dunach — hilly
woods. Croman is properly the kite, a bird now unknown to us, but is the name
commonly applied to all the larger hawks, as speirag is to all the smaller tribe.
The word means crooked, and designates the form of the hawk's bill and talons.
I may remark here that Highlanders apply different names to certain beasts and
birds in different parts of their country. Thus, about Lochgilphead the fox is
only known as the sionnach, "the old one" (from seanach), and the name mada'

232 THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL.

The Snipe.1

Abounds in all the moors, where in spring-time the belated traveller
is sure to hear their peculiar bleating noise of that season of the year
in the air over his head, which cry, if it is a cry, gives it one of its
local names of gabhar-adheir (go'ar a'eir), the aerial goat. To a stranger
unacquainted with the origin of this strange noise its effect is rather
weird-like and creepy in such wild, lonesome spots. In winter the
snipe is much more abundant, as frost and snow drive them down to
the low lands of the coasts, and in rather hard frosts they assemble
in considerable wisps about any unfrozen spring, and at such times
I have seen them even on the sea-sands, where they ran about like
tringse.2

The Jack Snipe is occasionally killed in the islands, and of the
Solitary or Double Snipe I have only seen one specimen, killed near
Lochgilphead, which was preserved.

The Godwit.

Is not by any means a common bird with us. I have occasionally
killed one on the seashore while making up a string of little birds
for the pot.

The Redshank.

Gaelic, Feadag — the little whistler, the diminutive of Feadan, a whistle,
the chanter of the bagpipes.

This troublesome little bird abounds along the coast except during
the very height of the breeding season, when he retires inland. They

ruadh, "red dog, " commonly used in Mull and the islands, is ignored. In the
islands bun-hlmachailh is the name for the great northern diver, " the herdsman
of the bottom ;" on the mainland it is mur-bhuachai/lr, ' the herdsman of the sea."
In the former the solan goose is asau, in the latter ausa, though in St Kilda it is
suilear ; from suil, eye, and gheur, sharp, from which appropriate name I presume
the scientific name of sulci and the Scotch name solan are taken.

1 With us the snipe is generally known as budagochd (bood-a-cock), which I
fear is a corruption and misapplication of the English woodcock, though it is
not a purely local name as it is given in Armstrong. It is also called gabhar-
adheir, already mentioned, and meannau-ad'heir, which has the same meaning.
It also has the names cubhag and haos(/, which have apparently no signification,
though the latter word is connected with fickleness or inconsistency.
- A habit also recognised in the Outer Hebrides. — Ed,

THE BIRDS OF IOXA AND MULL. 233

are usually solitary, though at times they go in small flocks, when
half a dozen or more may be killed at a shot. When accidentally dis-
turbed among the rocks the redshank flies off, uttering a loud, clear,
and rather musical call, half-whistle, half-cry, which is sufficiently
alarming to any other birds in the vicinity ; but if you come upon
him unexpectedly and suddenly while screwing yourself among the
rocks with the object of stalking some other birds, it is ten to one
that he will not only cry out but continue fluttering about overhead,
making such shrill vociferations as not only to sound an alarm, but
to inform all the birds along the whole shore of your whereabouts and of
all your intentions, who so thoroughly understand their little monitor
that they immediately take the hint and are off. In this manner the
redshank is such a good friend and sentinel for all manner of shore
birds, whether waders or swimmers, that before commencing to stalk,
it is as well to scan the shore to see if there is a redshank on the line,
and if there is, to give him as wide a berth as possible by making any
amount of extra circuit.

The Greenshank.
Is an unusual bird, quite a rarity.

The Common Sandpiper.

Summer visitant, whose brisk little pipe is always associated with
early summer, and is heard not only on the banks of our inland fresh-
water lochs, but on those of the great salt-water inlets, and along the
more sheltered and least rugged coasts of the seashore.

The Dunlin.

Is common both in summer and winter plumage. These little
birds, I believe, vary in size a good deal; at least I have often shot
speciuirns so much smaller than the others around them as at first
to lead me to suppose they were another variety.

The Curlew Sandpiper.

Is occasionally shot among other sandpipers and small frequenters
of the ebb.

234 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

The Purple or Rock Sandpiper.

This is a much heavier looking bird than the other sandpipers, and is
much more inert in his habits. They are always found creeping about
on the rocks close to the wash of the surf, looking more like mice than
birds, and when approached skulk or cower down upon the seaweed,
where the colour is dark and something of the same shade as their
own feathers, and they will allow themselves to be pelted with stones
before they will fly. Though usually going in small parties of half a
dozen or so, they may occasionally be met with in large flocks, resting
at high-water upon an isolated rock with the sea breaking around it,
and sometimes over them, and here they cluster together so thick as
to cover the crest of the rock. When approached by boat they only
huddle closer together, trying to creep out of sight and to hide them-
selves behind one another, and it is only at a very near approach that,
with a feeble remonstrative pipe, they all take wing together, fly off
in a compact mass, tack in again and alight on a similar rock at no
great distance, tumbling and fluttering over each other as they alight
in a dense body. If disturbed a second time they repeat the same
manoeuvre, often pitching again on the same rock they were first
disturbed from. Of course a good many may be shot at such times,
and then they all go into the omniverous ])ot, by which I mean served
up roasted along with the rest of their tribe which have been bagged
the same day, and very dainty morsels we thought them too. In
summer they have nearly all disappeared, but some pairs seem to
linger even then on some of the outlying islands, and in May and
June, when visiting some of the more distant and lonely skerries in
pursuit of gull's eggs, I have been received at the slippery and
dangerous landing place by a couple of quiet little rock sandpipers,
who then have bright orange yellow legs and bills — ochreous-yellow
at the base — and altogether are more spruce looking than when last
seen in winter.

The Turnstone.

Is like the last, abundant through the winter months, feeding
busily among the pebbles and gravel on the seashore, though not
quite so bustling and active as the tring:e. At high-water they repose
in small flocks on the rocks above high-water mark, and I have seen

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 235

them in stormy weather occasionally feeding on the newly-ploughed
fields. In summer they nearly all leave us, but some few linger till
the end of May, when their plumage undergoes a great change, and
I have even seen them in pairs in the end of June, when they had
fully assumed their complete summer garb — a beautiful tortoise-shell,
with very distinct and fantastic black markings on their otherwise
dusky red and pure white plumage ; and though I never discovered
their nest, I should imagine these were breeding on the smaller islands,
Staffa for one. All these interesting little birds are lumped under
the general name of triollachan traigh, the little quaverers of the
shore, from trioleate, a quavering.

The Curlew.

Gaelic, Guilbinn (guley-pin), from guil, a weeping or wailing, and binn, music ;
also Crann-tach, one with a long bill, " coulter-neb," from crann (crown),
a tree, beam, plough, &c. Its nocturnal, wild cries in moors and lonely
places have connected it with evil company, and "ghaists and whaup-
nebbed things " are associated in the superstitious rural mind as tending
to make night hideous.

Is exceedingly abundant. Our deeply-indented coasts and many
islands present such a disproportionate extent of shore as to offer an
illimitable feeding ground for any amount of curlews at every ebbing
tide, while the adjacent land is chiefly composed of moors and mosses,
full of pools and lakes, and wild broken tracts made up of rock and
heather, solitary and undisturbed, of a very nature to suit these birds
when the flowing tide forces them to seek their food inland, or gives
them an interval for rest and digestion. At these latter periods they
gather into very large flocks, numbering hundreds, and are so shy and
wary as to make them quite inaccessible to approach, unless by extreme
caution, favoured by good luck. Not only is every individual bird
vigilant to observe the remotest sign of danger, but there are certain
ones specially told off to the duty of acting sentinel, and these are very
conspicuous in rough ground, where rocks obstruct a clear view all
round and favour the treacherous approach of a foe, as they post them-
selves on the summit of a rock or elevated mound, whence they can
observe the most distant approach of danger, and at the least symptom
of anything suspicious he gives a shrill warning whistle, which instantly
puts his comrades on the alert, who, with heads erect, respond with

236 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

answering cries of attention, and at a second confirmatory louder
warning, all take wing with tumultuous screams of alarm, and disap-
pear over the crest of the hill.

When instinct tells them that the rocks and sands are beginning
to be laid bare by the refluent tide, they rise in noisy chorus and pour
down upon the seashore, where they spread themselves along the coast,
to commence the important opei'ation of feeding. At this time a few
shots may be got by any one lying in ambush awaiting their arrival,
though even then they are as wary as ever, and never begin to feed till
they have scanned the horizon round to make sure that the coast is
clear. The flocks then disperse and line the shore in ones and twos
or little groups, keeping up a frequent interchange of intercommuni-
catory screams, some expressing that "All's well," others of content
and satisfaction, varied with occasional cries of caution, starts of
alarm, or the sudden rending screams of undoubtful imminent danger.
At this time they may be successfully stalked, as they are occupied,
have no look-outs, and may be come upon in situations favouring a
stealthy approach ; but a small boat is generally the most successful,
and certainly the least laborious means of getting shots, either by sail-
ing in upon them, or paddling along the rugged, broken shore. Like
other shore birds which feed by feel and not by sight, the curlews are
as active by night as they are by day whenever the tide serves, and
their wild cries are borne in upon the breeze, accompanied by the
hoarse murmur of the distant waves, when the window is opened
during a dark, quiet night at such a time. Various cries and whistles
are continually being interchanged amongst them as they keep calling
to each other through the darkness ; then comes a sudden, shrill,
querulous note of alarm, followed by an outbreak of shrieks and
screams, which ring all over the distant scaup banks and sand-flats,
and gradually subside again into quiet, only broken by an occasional
musical ringing cry, expressive of satisfaction, a long, quavering,
gurgling, exceedingly wild note, which has given it its Gaelic name
of Guilbinn, the musical wailer or lamenter. From their great
abundance, the curlew forms the staple of our wild-fowl shooting,
and from the difficulty of getting within shot, there is a keen feeling
of exultation in outwitting such an excessively wary creature by
superior strategy. A Gaelic saying runs to the effect, " When a man
has shot six herons, six wild geese, and six curlews, he may call him-

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 237

self ;i sportsman." I may lay claim to the title of having shot a good
many more than the requisite half-dozen of each kind, but most espe-
cially in the article of curlew, as I seldom returned home in the evening
without a pair. Whether from the difficulty of procuring them, or the
excellent appetite acquired in the pursuit, we thought them very good
eating, which reminds me of an old English rhyme —

" A curlew, be she white, be she black,
>She carries twelve pence on her back,"

which I suppose was the market price of the bird in old days. The
difference of colour, I suppose, is only the darker hue of the old, longer-
billed birds to that of the younger and lighter-coloured individuals.

The Whimbrel.
Gaelic, Guilbinnach.

This bird, though so similar to the last in appearance, is totally
different in habits. It is a migratory bird, and only visiting us during
the month of May, arriving very early, generally the 1st, and remaining
till the very last, during which time they are abundant, and may be
killed without difficulty, as they are tame and unsuspicious.

When the wintry storms have at last done roaring, and the sea is still
and peaceful, and the air genial, then the peculiar and unusual call of the
whimbrel announces the fact that summer is nigh. Its call consists of
several rapidly-repeated, clear, short whistles, about seven times uttered
in rapid succession, which has given it the English local name of the
"seven whistler." This cry is uttered as the flocks are flying to and
fro, high in the air, before alighting on the grass-covered sandy levels,
enamelled at this time of year with wild hyacinths and blue-bells, which
skirt a considerable portion of the shores of lona, the undulations of
which afford shelter enough for approaching them. A flock of some
thirty or forty birds scattered over the green tui-f form a very alluring
sight, and their comparative heedlessness makes them an easy prey to
one accustomed to circumvent the jealous curlew. They are good eating,
and in very good condition, as if their migratory journey had not been
at all a harassing one. This is only a temporary halt on their journey
further north, and they gradually disappear, till, after the end of May,
they are all gone, and only an occasional whistle is heard of a single
straggler afterwards. This is not a place of call on the southerly

238 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

migration, at least not in large flocks, for only a few single individuals
may sometimes be met with in autumn. I am not aware of any
breeding place near.

The Lapwing.

Gaelic, Aclharcan luachrach, the horned creature of the rushes ; Curacag, hooded ;
and Pibhinn (pee veen), from its cry ; and binn, musical, shrill.

This well-known bird is common enough at all times of the year,
though not in anything like the abundance it is found in on estuaries
of rivers and fen lands. In winter small flocks may be met with on
the moors or on the seashore, and in the breeding season pairs are
found scattered over all the moors and on almost every island, even
the very smallest, if, as is usually the case, a spot of boggy, wet ground
exists somewhere on its rocky surface.

The Golden Plover.

Gaelic, Feadag and Triollachan, the little whistler or triller.

Remains with us all the year round, but in winter alone is ordi-
narily met with in small parties on the seashore. In more than
ordinary hard frosts they assemble in very large flocks, and at such
times are not only void of their usual shyness, but seem absolutely
without consciousness of danger, and I have lain down close to a flock,
waiting an opportunity of stringing as many as possible at a shot, when
they would run close past the muzzle of the gun. At other times, when
only a little uneasy at being approached, I have remarked their instinct
of rendering themselves inconspicuous. When first seen running on
the white sand, or with the sea for a background, they look quite large
birds, but in a moment they get on to broken ground among rock and
stones, where they squat and compress themselves in such a manner as
to become nearly invisible, avoiding clustering together or getting in a
line, and so presenting as small a mark as possible for firing at.

The sandy, grass-grown levels of the island of Tiree abound with
golden plover in autumn and winter.

The Dotterel.

I never met with, though it is known by name as the Amadcm
mbintich, the fool of the moor.

THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL. 239

The Ring Dotterel.

Is a very common species on the gravelly seashores in winter,
resting at high- water on the sandy banks among the bent which grows
upon them ; and in summer a few breed here, though I only once
found a nest, or rather the eggs. They seem to be a good deal perse-
cuted by the stoat, whose tiny footmarks I have often observed im-
printed on the wet sands which these birds frequent, both by day and
night, when the tide is out ; and when rummaging out a stoat's nest,
a number of ring dotterels' wings are invariably found among the
bones, feathers, and other refuse forming the little hunter's spoils of
the chase. I have seen the stoat hunting in such localities, and if he
happens to be in his ermine dress, he forms a very interesting object,
running backwards and forwards, stealthily but swiftly, beating care-
fully over every inch of ground, winding in and out of the rocks,
turning the sharp corners with almost a snake-like action, and so in-
tently occupied as to allow you to approach near enough to stop his
career for ever.

The Sanderling.

Is rather an unusual straggler, though I may have often overlooked
him among the tribes of little shore-birds which swarm along our
coasts, and are known under the general title of Triollachan traigh.

The Oyster-catcher.

The Gaelic name on the western coast is Gillebride (gilly-breech), the servant of
St Bride, though I never heard the reason of this bird being peculiarly
dedicated to that saint.

Is extremely abundant, and a decided feature in our maritime
scenery, his pied plumage and shrill clamour making him very con-
spicuous among the dark, fierce skerries of the "hoarse Hebrides,"
cresting the reefs in great flocks, whence their merry, varied screams
ring above the deep murmur of the surf, full of merriment and glee,
for they are very lively birds, gregarious, fond of society, and appar-
ently much attached to each other, for, should one of their number fall
wounded, the rest of the Hock circle over their fallen comrade with
loud cries, expressive of sympathy, surprise, and anger, unmindful of
the approach of danger threatening them with the same fate. Though

240 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

not fitted by nature for a swimming bird, the sea pyet is well able to
swim in any emergency, and, when wounded, will endeavour to escape
capture both by swimming and diving. But though able to remain a
considerable time under water and dive to some depth, lie is unable to
swim beneath the surface, which makes a wounded duck or diver so
difficult of capture. More than once I have seen a whole flock alight
upon the water a long way from the land ; it was when the sea was
perfectly calm, and I supposed them to be attracted by the large shoals
of young herrmg fry which were swimming near the surface. Fish, as
well as molluscs, form part of their diet, and the birds that we have
occasionally kept in confinement would eat it greedily.

The oyster-catcher breeds upon many of the isolated rocky islands
and stacks of rock, making a slight nest of sea-pink, like the gulls ; its
eggs, also, so resemble those of the gulls that it is difficult to distin-
guish them from kittywakes. We always eat the oyster-catchers, and
used to shoot them for that purpose, though, like most of such birds,
their flesh is more palatable cold than hot.

The Water Rail.

I have only met with from time to time in severe weather, when
frozen out of his places of concealment ; at such times it is easily cap-
tured alive, and becomes quickly reconciled to captivity, feeding on raw
meat- finely cut up, and taking it freely from hand quite familiarly.

The Corncrake.
Gaelic, Treun ri treun.

Loudly announces his arrival in May, on or about the 12th, when
all the meadows, fields of growing corn, and especially the rank weeds
and vegetation about the iona ruins ring with his unintermitting and
monotonous cry. At first it is rather pleasing, as being associated
with summer and tine weather, but it soon becomes wearisome, espe-
cially when it is continued all through the night, which in these
northern latitudes is scarcely dark even at midnight. I have some-
times been urged to turn out at that unusual hour with my gun and
favourite dog, both of which shared my bed-room, and by the ruddy
light from the northern sky, where the sun seemed to be rolling along-
only just beneath the horizon, have beat up the long grass in front of

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 241

the house to dislodge this murderer of my sleep. A good many may
be shot on their first arrival, when the grass is not so very long. They
are very good eating; indeed, the game-laws include them under the
head of game. Perhaps they once were more numerous in England.
Here, in Sussex, I never hear their crake, and they seem only to lie
known as a bird of passage, making a temporary stay on their way to
and from their breeding places. In Iona many nests are discovered
when the grass is cut for hay, containing from twelve to fifteen eggs,
and T have often wondered how so small a bird can cover so many,
especially as they are large in proportion to the size of the bird. The
water rail swims well, but I have also seen the corncrake or land rail
take the water and swim when forced to do so.

I must give you a morsel from my favourite author, of date 1807.
"By Dr Darwin we ai-e told that all the water-fowl of Liberia begin
their journey to the south as soon as the first frost sets in, the rail
alone remaining, which becomes torpid, and sleeps under the snow.

' His torpid wing the rail, exulting, tries,
Mounts the soft gale, and wantons in the skies. '

The people of the north being asked how rails migrate, because they
seem to have no power to take long flights, have replied that, when the
cranes go away, they each take a rail upon his back."

It is remarkable that the water rail, who suffers so much by being
frozen out of his haunts, should not follow the example of his cousin,
the land rail, and remove to warmer climes for the winter.

Thk Wat br Hen.

Is not very abundant, but two pair come regularly to breed upon a
little marshy pond among the hills of Iona. I suppose the natives are
not very familiar with it, for on showing a specimen I had captured to
a party of Ionians, they could not think what it was, till an old man
very seriously observed that it must be a devil in feathers, because,
having the legs and feet of a common hen, it swam and dived, and so
presumed to run in the face of nature.

I had great difficulty in getting this first specimen, as the birds
invariably disappeared under the water the moment anybody came
near, and they remained submerged .and invisible as long as you stayed
insight. Their habit is to sink under water all but the end of their

242 THE BIRDS OF IONA ANT) MULL.

bill, through which they breathe, and which is, of course, impossible to
detect in a pond whose surface is broken by reeds and weeds. The
grebes do the same, and I have seen one performing the trick in clear,
open water, where I could see him distinctly submerged all but the bill.

NATATORES.

The Wild Swan.

Gaelic, Eala, whence the name of Lochnell — Loch nan eala.

Like most of our larger and nobler birds, the swan is becoming
scarce where living men remember them to have been most abundant,
and I was continually tantalised by hearing tales of the large flocks of
swans which used to frequent Iona and the adjoining parts of Mull,
and the frequency of their being shot by the few who in those days
possessed guns. Still a winter scarcely fails to bring one or two flights
of these splendid birds, either flying through the Sound or sometimes
alighting on some piece of water either in Iona or on the opposite
shore of Mull, the news of which was usually not long in reaching me.
One morning our shepherd announced the arrival of a small flock upon
Loch Staonig, the pool where the water hens breed. Guided by him,
we reached a rock which commanded it, and on raising my head, seven
swans rose on clanging wing. I fired at the nearest, apparently with-
out effect, as they held away towards the Mull coast. However, in
the evening my swan was brought to me by a man who saw it drop
behind his comrades and sink to the earth, where he picked him up
quite dead. I heard while at Lochgilphead of a black swan having
been seen about, and one day in my punt I came up with him on Loch
Fyne. I supposed it to have escaped from some neighbouring gentle-
man's grounds, perhaps from the Duke of Argyll's castle at Inveraray,
but on inquiring afterwards I could not find any one in our part of the
country having lost such a bird, and I rather regretted not having
culminated in such a noble specimen of a rara avis, after which I
might have gracefully retired from the pursuit of wild-fowl shooting,
as nothing more would then have been left me to desire, unless it were
an unusually fine specimen of a phoenix.

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 243

Geese.

All the small isles which "guard famed Staffa round," inclusive
of itself, are the resort of innumerable wild geese, who select these
unfrequented localities for their winter quarters, for there they find
abundance of grass, and almost perfect immunity from the visits of
man. Even the very smallest of these islets support so many head of
cattle, according to their size. Staffa's regulation number is fourteen
or fifteen. These beasts are deposited in autumn and left to themselves
all winter, and when revisited in spring are "wild as the wild deer,"
and both startle and are startled by the arrival of some hundred
tourists by the first Staffa and Iona steamboat. All through the winter
these islands are almost entirely inaccessible, landing seldom being pos-
sible upon their sorely-vexed shores. Should a few days' break occur
in the ever-successive tempests which roar over the Hebrides all winter,
such a short interval is not sufficient to let the scourged ocean quiet
down enough to permit a boat alongside their rocks. So it is very
rarely possible to disturb the geese in these their well-chosen places of
resort, and they must be watched and waited for when they sally forth
to make descents upon the larger islands, and what we call mainland.
I have, however, occasionally succeeded in effecting a landing and sur-
prising them on their own ground, at least some of them, for a boat
approaching an island is a very marked object, and the geese keep
streaming away in long strings all the time she keeps nearing it, and
those only remain which are on the other side of the island or lying in
a hollow, and these are what the landing party must hope to come
upon, as on them all their hopes depend ; for after the first shots have
been fired, all is over for that time, as it is impossible to linger on an
island where a swift-rising tempest may catch you and storm-stay you
beyond all hope of recovery for a week or a month. Judging from the
traces they leave behind them, the number of geese frequenting these
islands must be vastly great, and it is almost a wonder any grass is left
at all for the legitimate grazers. I have seen a futile attempt at
putting up a bodach, or scarecrow, which never deceives such a saga-
cious bird as the goose, nor does the man of straw long survive the
elementary wrath which is poured upon his battered crown. In this
part of the country geese are winter visitants only, and I have not
heard of their breeding or being seen in summer. Though there cannot

244 THE BIRDS OP IONA AND MULL.

be, therefore, any chance of a dash of wild blood being infused into the
barnyard stock of geese (as there is in our clucks), yet it is remarkable
that our domestic geese are more than usually volatile in all our
islands, and it is not an uncommon thing for a gudewife to lose her
whole stock in one night through neglecting to cut their wings in time.
They usually give warning, as the critical time of migration approaches,
by taking wing for short distances and general nighty behaviour.
They have been known to leave Iona and cross the Sound, not return-
ing for a day or two. So they extend their nights until they fly away
for good. Sometimes a flock has come in from Tiree, twenty miles
and more due west of us, and their owners have come by boat after
them to recover them. My friend Mr M'Vean lost a fine flock one
winter. There was one solitary duck living with them, and she, deter-
mining not to be left behind, started in company with her bigger
associates. They were observed at several points in their flight across
Mull, and attracted special attention from the remarkable appearance
presented by the party — the geese, after the fashion of their kind,
flying in a long string, and the odd duck gallantly keeping her position
underneath the line. They were last seen steering south. These lost
birds never return ; probably they are captured or killed wherever they
alight.

The Bean Goose.

Is one of the winter frequenters of the islands, visiting the larger
ones to feed at night.

The Pink-footed Goose.

Is another of the winter geese, and by no means a rare one, but
the general colour of the grey geese is so similar that you cannot tell
one kind from another at a distance. A large flock always breaks up
into battalions when put to flight, which I suppose to be the different
species keeping together, though the barnicles are the only ones whose
species you could be certain about. The first pink-footed I got was
early on a stormy morning. He astonished our tame geese by alighting
among them, which they clamorously protested against. The uproar
attracted the attention of the herd, who easily detected the stranger by
his graceful form and elegant action, much more conspicuous than any
difference of colour in the grey morning's sullen light. Being notified,
[ ran out and shot it in the light and airy drapery of the bed-chamber.

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 245

TlIE WlIITK-FRONTED GOOSE.

My friend C. M'Vean got one specimen last winter (?) at Iona, which
he had stuffed in Edinburgh.

The Barnicle Goose.
Gaelic, Geadh blar — white-faced goose.
This is by far the most plentiful of our geese, and the kind we
most frequently shoot. It winters on the small islets in company with
the grey geese, and continually visits the larger islands to graze on
certain favourite spots, where they may be either stalked or waited for.
The afternoon and evening is the usual time for looking for them,
though they may be there at any hour of the day. The great care of
the stalker is to keep out of sight of the sentinel, who is easily known
by his erect neck, which never moves, not even to pluck one beakful
of grass. I would rather expose myself in full view of the entire flock
feeding, if obliged to cross a bad bit in the line of stalk, for the sentry's
whole senses are concentrated in his duty, while the others are only
bent on their food, and will allow a slight suspicion of danger to pass.
For a moment they may cease feeding and then go on again, as if they
thought it was not their business to give the alarm. It is like the
story of the naval officer, who, being aroused in his hammock with the
announcement that the ship was sinking, replied, "Well, what's the
use of disturbing me ? It's not my watch." The barnicle are plump
little geese, and most excellent eating.

The Brent Goose.
Is but a straggler among our islands, and is easily shot, as such
birds usually are, seeming dazed and out of their reckoning, and are
commonly in bad condition. At Lochgilphead a party of half-a-dozen
would stay a day or two in early spring in the loch ; they were easily
approached, but the birds were in good condition. The brent is as
rare on the shores of Argyll as the barnicle is abundant.

The Siieildrake.

Gaelic, Craigag, from craig and geadh — rock goose. Norse, Graf-and —
burrowing duck.

This handsome, showy bird is common at all times. Its nest is
frequently found on the smaller islets, in rocky holes, or holes scooped

R

246 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

in the sand, and the young broods ai'e often met swimming a little way
from the land, convoyed by one or two of the old birds, who show their
uneasiness by flying about, rising and alighting just out of shot of the
approaching boat. But their anxiety for their little ones is groundless,
as the little downy creatures are quite able to take care of themselves.
They disperse in all directions, and dive and double under water with
surprising agility and cunning, so as to make catching them impossible.
Being mud-feeders, we never cared to shoot the sheildi'akes for the pot,
for, in spite of their fine feathers, they are but foul feeding. Neither
feeding on land like geese, nor on fish and seaweed like the true
maritime tribes, they ai*e "neither fish, flesh, nor good red herring."

The Mallard.

Gaelic, Lach and Tonnag — the latter from tonn, a wave. " Lorg na lacha,'' the
track of the duck — i.e., to go by water. Norse, Gras-and — grass duck.

Wild-fowl shooting has been so well described by Colonel Hawker,
St John, and other giants of sporting literature as to render my
attempts at making any original remarks on the subject very lili-
putian. I can only state that the wild duck is still plentiful among
the islands, where it is known as the "big Scotch duck," in distinction
to the widgeon, which is the "Norwegian duck." Nests are found on
nearly all the fresh-water lakes, large and small. We have often put
their eggs under a common hen, the result being a brood of very wild
little ducklings, which require having their wings cut early, and con-
stant watching to prevent them running away ; and it takes three or
four generations before they become quite domestic, and in proportion
as they become so, their plumage begins to vary from the uniform
colour of the original wild stock, and their forms lose the elegant grace
and lightness of their ancestry. These reclaimed birds keep aloof from
the dull denizens of the duck-pond ; they often take long flights, and
will make their nest in strange out-of-the-way places, such as the roof
of a cow-shed ten feet above the ground.

The Widgeon.
Is more numerous than the last in winter, but more local, congre-
gating in large flocks in every suitable bay. Loch Gilp and other inlets
of Loch Fyne, Loch Tarbert, Jura, Loch Swein, Feochain, Caolisport,
&c, and many other lochs on the mainland and islands of Argyll, are

THE BIRDS OF IOXA AND MULL. 247

famed for the quantities of widgeon frequenting them, in spite of the
constantly increasing number of guns which are brought to bear upon
them. The birds are shy where they expect to be molested, but the
same birds in another place, where they consider themselves safe from
molestation, are quite free of shyness. I have often proved this by
putting up a flock in Loch Gilp, which would rise wildly at the punt's
approach 200 yards off", then following them to the retired inlets at
the junction of Lochs Fyne and Gilp, would find them sitting till
within forty or fifty yards of them. In certain bays they cannot be
approached, while in others they let themselves be easily stalked.
The wounded birds are troublesome to capture. I have seen them
holding on to the weed at the bottom in shallow water, and have had
to dislodge them with the boat-hook, or reach them with my arm if not
too deep. In March, when they break up into pairs, but have not
yet finally quitted our shores, I have sometimes, while coasting, come
upon a pair in full breeding plumage — enjoying their honeymoon in
fact — in some out-of-the-way little creek. The duck, trusting to the
unobtrusive nature of her plumage, will remain floating among the
long fronds of brown seaweed ; but the drake, who shines like a bright
star, gets fidgety, and flies about, calling in vain to his capricious
mate, who will not take the hint to follow, and at last forces him to
pitch on the water a little way off. The duck at last rises when the
boat is within thirty yards, flies a short distance and alights again,
where she is immediately joined by her faithful spouse. The same per-
formance may be gone through again and again, till very often, if you
are in want of a full-plumaged male, he falls a victim to the caprice of
his partner and his own gallantry.

The Teal.
Gaelic, Crann lach — tree duck.
Is commonly distributed, though not very abundant, through the
isles. One or two pairs may often be found breeding in the neigh-
bourhood of the moorland lochans, and in winter they are found there
in small flights, or driven down to the seashore in hard weather among
the mallards and widgeon, where it is usually very tame and easy of
approach, rather skulking, and trusting to its diminutive size to escape
observation; but if it does rise, it does so so noiselessly, so suddenly, and
clips away so sharply, that it is difficult to suppose it to be a duck at all.

248 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

The Gadwall.
The only specimen I ever met with was sent me by C. M'Vean
from Barra island in the autumn of 1863. It is now in the collection
of Captain Orde of Kilmory, who exhibited it at a meeting of the
British Ornithologists' Union in London the same year.

The Red-headed Pochard.
Though well known to us, is not a very frequent or abundant
species. It appears from time to time in the depth of winter upon
some of the fresh-water lochs, where it is very confiding and easily shot
for a few days, but quickly grows shy, and, if much disturbed, leaves
altogether. I don't remember meeting with it on salt water.

The Scaup.
A much more maritime duck than the last, and a very regular
winter resident, though not very abundant ; is often killed on the coast
or on fresh water.

The Red-crested Pochard.
Only one specimen, a beautiful male, ever came into my possession.
It was sent by Captain M'Dougall of Lunig, and was shot on a fresh-
water loch in Craignish, January 7, 1862, when in company with some
golden eyes. Sir William Jardine, in The Naturalists' Library, can
give no instance of its capture in Scotland, and describes the bird from
Yarrel, who first noticed it in Britain. My brother-in-law, who was
returned on leave from India, recognised it as one of the most abundant
species which he was in the frequent habit of shooting, and is called
the lal-seer, red-head. The common teal, widgeon, and gadwall were
the only others of our ducks which he was acquainted with in the East.

The Colden Eye.
Norivegian, Knipa.
Ts common, though not very abundant, both on the seashore and on
fresh water. It is truly a sea duck in its disregard for breakers and hor-
rible surf-beaten, iron-bound coasts, swimming securely on the bosom
of monstrous waves, diving to avoid their curling crests. They are
usually in little parties of about two or three males, with about double
their number of females and immature birds in the moriUon stage.

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 249

They are as quick divers as any bird. As the whole party dive simul-
taneously, and remain a long time down, it is not difficult to stalk them
on a rocky shore. After taking the last run, I have reached a capital
position behind a high rock commanding the spot where the party last
dived, some thirty or forty yards off, and there wait in anxious expec-
tation for their reappearance. In a moment up they all come ; before
they have time to " get the water out of their eyes " I have covered a
male and a duck in the same line, and fire. The shot cuts a circular
patch of white foam, the size of a tea-tray, on the spot where the birds
were — were, but are not, for as the foam subsides and the smoke clears,
they have all disappeared, and no corpse cumbers the fair surface of
the water. A moment after, up they all rise, a good gunshot further
off. Their escape seems miraculous, and can only be explained by
supposing that the snap of the cap gives them time enough to dive,
though it appears to us to be simultaneous with the discharge of the
gun."

The golden eye is abundant in Upper Canada, and I have shot a
good many on the lakes after the breaking up of the ice ; also, the
beautiful little buffel-head, or butter-boat, as they call it, which is very
like the golden eye, and seeing the two together always gave me the
impression that the golden eye of America was a bigger bird than that
of the Old World.

The Long-tailed Hareld or Ice Duck.

Norse, Al fogel.

I can add nothing further on the subject of this bird to the account
I gave you by letter, which afterwards appeared in The Naturalist,
]>. 2\2. My friend Colin M'Vean says they have deserted the bay in
J una, which used to he so much frequented by them as to be named by
us long-tailed duck bay. I should suppose these changes are attri-
butable to some occult change in the growth of the submarine vegeta-

1 Shooting guillemots, &e. , out of a boat, very often seem to dive at the snap
of the cap, but very often it is from seeing the gun brought up to the shoulder.
When ranging up within reach of a scart or large diver, the bird is keenly on the
alert, ready to dive at the least extra alarm. The best plan is to bring the gun
ii l> g( iitly to the shoulder, and then keep the bird on for a few seconds ; then, as
he keeps looking first with the one eye and then the other, take him as his head
is turned sideways, and tire. He will lie arrested in the very act of plunging.

250 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

tion, which forms the pasturage of these creatures, for quantities of
widgeon, which formerly were not wont to congregate there, have
taken their place. Does old Neptune keep pace with the times and
practise rotation of crops down below there at the bottom?

The native name for this duck is lack bhinn, the musical duck. It
is very common on the Canadian lakes, under the name of the cow-wee
duck (a word supposed to imitate part of its cry). At the mouth of
the river Niagara (March 1855), when Lake Ontario was still choked
up with ice, and the waves froze in icicles as they dashed on the rocks,
I was walking on the shore in the evening and recognised the well-
known voice of the long-tail, so familiar to me in Iona, as it was borne
in on the blast from a large flock disporting themselves among the
hummocks and floating masses of ice.

The Scoter.
Norse, Sjo-orre — sea blackcock.
I never saw any of the scoters out among the isles, and at Loch-
gilphead I only saw them on two occasions, though unfortunately I got
no specimen on either occasion. The first time, as I was launching my
punt, a friend came up and offered to shoot if I would put him within
range. I did my part and he missed his, so I lost that chance. The
second and last occasion was a splendid male velvet scoter, who
paraded himself under my garden wall, his jetty plumage flashed in the
sunshine, and his red bill was all aglow, like Bardolph's nose — but it
was Sunday. I offered to use a loose leaf out of an old bible for
wadding, but I could not get a dispensation from the authorities (Mrs
G.) to shoot, though this would have been a new method of diffusing
the Scriptures among the blacks, so I could do nothing but watch him
sailing about within thirty yards. Virtue was not rewarded by his
return on a week day, though anxiously looked for, not to say prayed
for.

The Eider Duck.

Norwegian, Ejdar gas — eider goose.
The eider is very numerous indeed in our seas, and may be met
with at all times of the year along shore or half-way out to Tiree, ten
or fifteen miles from land. The male birds shine like stars upon the
deep purple, long-heaving swell which heaves in from the Atlantic
Ocean. They are not very shy of being sailed down upon, and are less

THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL. 251

suspicious of a large boat than of a smaller. "We considered them
better eating than most other maritime ducks ; they seem to feed
entirely on seaweed, browsing at the bottom in deep water. When
startled, they take flight at once, without having recourse to diving as
a means of escape. We sometimes find the nest upon the unfrequented
islets, among the rocks a little above the sea-level. The eggs are large,
of a greenish colour, and we once hatched a set under a common hen,
but did not succeed in rearing the ducklings, probably from want of
water, proper food, and liberty, as they survived only about a fortnight.
They were black, and the size of goslings. Eiders abound on the isles
of Colonsay and Oronsay, whose coasts are surrounded by them in
spring and summer, and, in common with hordes of other wild fowl,
they increase and multiply on the rocks of those islands under the pro-
tection of the proprietor, Lord Colonsay, who does not allow them to
be molested, though on my visit to the island he most courteously gave
me leave to help myself to as many specimens of any kind as I liked.
The eider is commonly known in this part of the country by the name
of Lack Choloiisa — the Colonsay duck.

The Goosander.
Norse, Stor-skraka or Kor-fogel — diving bird.
Is very plentiful along our shores, I may say all the year round,
for though I have never found it actually breeding, it cannot be very
far off, as the young broods make their appearance at a very early age,
diving and fishing as actively as the old birds. The goosander is not
difficult to shoot, as they can be stalked when diving near the land,
where they come in very close sometimes to catch small flounders and
other little fish. One I shot had just bolted a mussel, shell and all,
unbroken. Their flesh is not fit to eat, so we only killed them Avhen
wanting specimens. The country people only know them by the name
of the "narrow-billed duck," to distinguish them from the true ducks.
Armstrong gives sioltaiche as their name, though I never heard it used.

I Ied-breasted Merganser.
Norse, Sma skraka.
Is the more abundant kind of the two species, being, in fact, our

common goosander. A very pretty sight they make in some POci

252 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

embosomed creek, a party of some half-dozen, including one splendid
male. At one time they float upon their own reflections imaged in the
dark blue water ; then, as if by word of command, they all leap down
together into the depths below. After a minute's interval, up they
pop to the surface, emerging with great buoyancy. They are now a
little scattered, so they converge upon their gallant admiral, whose
bright, parti-coloured plumage is further set off" by the rich, soft shades
of chestnut which form their own colouring. They advance with great
swiftness through the waters, without any visible effort or motion of
any part of the body. The long, slender neck is kept erect and motion-
less, except to turn the head and long coral bill gracefully round, as the
bird looks about, suspicious of lurking danger.

The Divers.
We are best acquainted with the divers in their sombre and
unattractive winter plumage, in which they are known as the loon,
the ember or immer goose, the rain goose, the lough diver, &c. All
through the winter months they are frequently to be met with on our
seas, where their great bulk forms a conspicuous feature. In their
beautiful breeding dress they are rarely seen — the black-throat seldom
or never, the red-throat but seldom, but the great northern not un-
frequently.

Thk Black-throated Diver and Red-throated Diver.

Gaelic, Learg, which also means the sea or surface of the sea. The same word,
however, means a sloping, green field or eminence, which, in the names of
places, is Anglicised into Largs, Larrigs, Largie, &c. The same name is
sometimes applied to the large black cormorant. Norse, Stor-loni and the
Smii-loni — the great and lesser loon.

We sometimes shoot these when diving near the shore. The very
long time they remain down makes it easy to take a long run down to
them, though they often rise a long way out of shot.

The Great Northern Diver.

Gaelic, Bun-bhuachaille — the herdsman of the deep or bottom, which, among the

men of the mainland (about Lochgilphead), is rendered mur-bhuaebaille —

the herdsman of the sea. To English ideas the former name woidd be

written boon-ya-voo-achail. Norse, Is-loni — ice loon.

This splendid inhabitant of the deep is by no means uncommon

around our isles through winter, and whenever we meet him we imme-

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 253

diately give chase, and often successfully, for, though diving at the
first approach of the boat, he will often rise within shot, if headed with
judgment. If once seriously alarmed and bent upon escape, he will,
of course, distance the swiftest boat in no time, remaining an almost
incredible time under water ; but he never takes wing, as the two
smaller divers will do when hard pressed. In this way the great
northern gives good sport, and offers an irresistible temptation for
pursuit, though we hardly ever attempted to eat him when captured,
though I have tried it cold and skinned, instead of plucked, which is
the best way of treating sea-birds of doubtful edibility. The skin, as
a trophy, constitutes its only value, but it has to undergo a very
thorough cleansing, as the body is encased in such a layer of fat,
adhering to the skin almost like blubber. In June they have all dis-
appeared, except a few laggards, who then become no small prize, being
in their splendid and remarkable breeding plumage of summer, which
presents a striking contrast in colour and peculiar markings to the dull
grey uniform of winter. The irides are also of a fiery red, like car-
buncles. The voice is a loud, prolonged shout, like a hoarse bray,
which is said to forbode the approach of a storm. C. M'Vean says
that the people of the outer islands believe it breeds there, and the
very early appearance of the young one in company with the parent
bird seems to corroborate the belief.

The Sclavonian Grebe.

Though I never met this bird among the isles, I became familiar
with it at Lochgilphead, where it comes in small parties in the month
of March, remaining in the loch during the whole of that month on
their northerly migration. They are then in full summer plumage,
evidently going in pairs, though a number of these keep together,
forming a little society while halting in our waters. They employ
themselves all day long diving and fishing very actively, taking very
long dives, and reappearing a vast distance from where they plunge.
This peculiarity alone makes them difficult to shoot, as they are not at
all shy of the shore, though they are of a boat, at the approach of
which they are always ready to ily. I have shot these birds both in
summer and winter plumage on the lakes and rivers of Canada, where

254 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

they go by the suggestive name of hell-divers. The middle of March
is the time to look for them in Loch Gilp, and bad weather will keep
them as late as the first week of April.

The Little Grebe.

Gaelic, Spog-ri-toin. Paw at the breech or breech paws — a very descriptive
name. Norwegian, Sma dopping — small diver.

This funny little bird exists on most of the fresh-water lochans,
even of remote Tiree, and breeds on the moors. It is also frequently
found in salt water where the sea runs into land-locked creeks and
narrow sounds, such as divide Ulva from Mull, and the upper reaches
of Loch Swein, where the tidal waters of the ocean wander among
heather-clad rocks and sweep the roots of mountain ash and birch
clumps, so interwoven is land and sea in this remarkable loch, which
even moved the saturnine Macculloch to rapture. It seems as if the
limits of the contesting elements had never been clearly defined since
the period of the deluge.

It was here I saw the grebe trying to conceal himself in the clear,
bright water beneath the high rock on which I stood. He floated with
his whole body submerged in an upright position, his bill alone exposed
above water, in which position I shot straight down upon him, and his
lifeless body sprung to the surface buoyant as an air bubble. These
birds always try to escape by diving, though I have often seen them
take wing, and so quick are they as easily to dive at the snap of the
cap, making them very difficult to shoot.

Thk Common Guillemot.

Gaelic, Eun du' na sgadain — the black herring bird.

All the isles that are surrounded by basaltic cliffs, as well as the
stupendous iron-bound coast of South and West Mull, are the breeding
places of myriads of guillemots, which literally blacken the surface of
the sea surrounding them. Actively employed fishing all day, towards
evening they stream homewards in an endless string — a river of birds.
Their flight is extremely swift, and in an undeviatingly straight line
about ten feet above the water, so much so that they often threaten to
go dash through any sail that may happen to cross their line of flight ;

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 255

not that I ever actually saw tkern do so, as by an insensible deviation
right or left they just clear any such obstruction. Of course they may
be killed in any numbers, either on their nesting places, where their
insensibility to danger has procured them the name of the "foolish
guillemot," or when studding the water in countless thousands, where
several may be strung at one shot, as they do not offer to dive till
approached very near, and their mode of diving is slow compared with
the active headers the cormorants take, or the lightning-like disappear-
ance of the larger divers.

They propel themselves under water with their wings, a submarine
flight, which commences in the act of diving, as the wings begin to
open before the bird leaves the surface, while all other birds dive with
their wings tight closed. The flesh of the guillemot is but poor eating.
Sussex fishermen shoot them under Beachy Head, where they breed,
and make them into pies, under the name of willocks or willies.

The Bridled Guillemot.1
Norwegian, Sill gripla — the herring gripla.

This is generally considered a rare bird. Sir William Jardine, in
The Naturalists' Library, says there is no recorded instance of the
capture of a specimen in Scotland, though later observers declare it to
be well known to the inhabitants of the outer isles. The first one that
I procured I sent to a bird-stuffer in Edinburgh, who corresponded
with Selby, and forwarded it to that eminent ornithologist. He, in
his reply, said that it was a specimen of that " unusual bird in Scot-
land, the bridled guillemot." It may be more abundant than we think,
for the difference between it and the common bird is not distinguish-
able until captured, and we did not care to shoot guillemots in great
numbers ; but if we killed as many as a dozen in a day we should pro-
bably find one lacrymans among the lot. The common guillemot has a
mark or division in the close texture of the feathers from behind the
eye, extending down the neck ; in the bridled this is further marked

1 As has been pointed out elsewhere, the average number of bridled birds

may be taken at from one in six or seven, to one in ten or twelve of the common
form. Needless now to insist upon the fact that the common and bridled birds
have long been looked upon as belonging to the same species, as indeed is
acknowledged amongst the communities themselves. — Ed.

256 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

by a white line, which also encircles the eye ; there is besides a slight
difference in the tint and shape of the bird, which is only observable
when the two varieties lie side by side.

The Black Guillemot.

Norse, Tobis gripla.
Though the common guillemot rears but one young one, and this
bird rears three, yet it is infinitely less numerous ; nor is it a gregarious
bird, though to a certain extent it is migratory. It is usually found
solitary, or swimming in pairs, on the wildest and most rocky parts of
our coast, utterly regardless of the dreadful surf tumbling in white
cascades off the jagged rocks when the heavy swell of ocean heaves
downwards. The black guillemot is a very pretty and interesting little
bird, quite tame, allowing a close approach by boat. Its plumage
undergoes an extraordinary seasonal change, so that in spring and
autumn two birds will not be found exactly alike, its colours ranging
through every shade of grey, from white, speckled, piebald, to jet black,
with a shining green lustre. In its nearly pure white winter dress, the
name of black guillemot is an evident misnomer, and that of doveky
or Greenland dove is much more applicable. It is remarkable that at
such seasons birds should be found both in complete summer and perfect
winter plumage. I should imagine that the former had been wintering
in the south and had never assumed the winter garb. In intensely
severe weather, in the depth of winter, the most purely white speci-
mens are to be procured. They breed on all the smaller uninhabited
islands, in holes under the rocks very little above the water-mark,
whence I have often extracted the little black downy young ones, and
have reared them on small fry, for which they are very clamorous,
uttering a querulous, impatient cry, unlike the adults, which are mute.
When fledged, the young are dingy black above and dirty white
underneath ; the white speculum on the wing is clouded with black
specks ; and the legs, which in the old birds are a vivid coral red, are
a dull reddish brown. The black guillemot is comparatively rarely
seen to fly, but dives boldly in the wildest broken water. It is better
eating than the common guillemot.

Among the isles it is known as the carlag, which means a tuft of
wool, a descriptive name when in its winter plumage. Caileag, as it
is sometimes pronounced, would signify a tame, good-tempered little

THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL. 257

thing, also applicable to the confiding, plump, little round bird. The
Welsh call him casgan Jong — the sailor's hatred, from a notion that
their appearance forebodes a storm. Casg in Gaelic is to stop, and
long is a ship.

The Little Auk.
Norwegian, Sjo kung — the sea king.
Seems quite unknown on our western shores. I never saw a speci-
men, though always on the look-out for it.

The Razorbill Auk.

Norwegian, Tord mulla.
The same remarks as those made on the common guillemot are
applicable to the razorbill, coming at the same season, breeding on
the same cliffs, and covering the same seas in a manner exactly similar
to them. Like the former, it also totally disappears with the termina-
tion of the breeding season. Specimens in winter plumage are only
rarely met with, and usually as weather - beaten, storm - stressed
stragglers, crippled or half-starved after severe tempests. They are
by no means silent birds ; their hoarse croaks are borne along the
smooth surface of the calm sea to a great distance, as they keep calling
to each other while fishing, and may be heard while the birds are too
far off to be discernible from a boat. Their cries are often to be heard
during calm, moonlight nights after the hatching is over in August,
and when each old bird is followed by a little one, which it seems to
be instructing in the art of diving.

The Puffin.

Gaelic, Seanias rua' (pronounced shame-us rua) — Red James.
Norivegian, Lunne fogel.

Is another of those summer visitors who pour out their thousands
upon our sea-girt shores, so beautifully alluded to by Thomson as
' ' Where the Northern Ocean in vast whirls
Boils round the naked melancholy isles
Of furthest Thule, and the Atlantic surge
Pours in amongst the stormy Hebrides.
Who can recount what transmigrations there
Are annual made ? What nations come and go ?
And how the living clouds on clouds arise
Infinite wings ! Till all the plume dark air
And rude resounding shores are one wild cry."

258 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

As their mode of nesting differs from the guillemot's and razorbill's,
they are more local in their choice of breeding places. Many of the
islands, however, provide suitable spots for them ; some, like Staffa, in
holes and crannies of the rock ; others are crowned by banks of soft,
unctious soil, grown over with grass and sea-pink, which are honey-
combed by burrows of the puffins which have inhabited them for
generations, and have reared their young within sound of the ceaseless
roaring of the surf which ever rolls under the feet of the frightful over-
hanging crags. When intruded upon in these their dangerous haunts,
they show little signs of timidity. The old birds remain sitting on
their eggs, with their grotesque faces and formidable bills protruding
from the doors of their holes, prepared to guard their nest and adminis-
ter a most formidable bite to any intrusive fingers. Others continue
flying uneasily past the intruders, which they do in a very swift and
undeviating line of flight, their wings vibrating with insect-like
rapidity, their red legs and paws sticking out behind, wide spi'ead, in
a most ungraceful fashion. They sweep past, close along the face of
the cliff, within a few feet of the visitors ; then, swooping out seaward,
they make a circuit, and so pass and repass again and again. This
they all do in the same direction (with or against the sun), and they
never cease all the time you remain, giving the appearance of an aerial
puffin procession. They never, however, come actually over the land,
so that though any amount may be shot, they all go whirling down the
abyss into the ocean beneath, where they may be picked up by your
comrade in the boat. They are certainly the most eatable of their
tribe, and in St Kilda form an important part of the islander's sus-
tenance. At Lochgilphead I saw little of the puffin, though they
came early in May in thousands, which scattered themselves over Loch
Fyne, all disappearing by the end of the month. These were only a
division of the grand army progressing north. At this time I often
observed them towards evening fly in small flocks right up Loch Gilp ;
then, reaching its head, they make a sweep round it, and stand out to
sea again. At this point Loch Fyne branches out into two arms like
the letter Y. One runs up thirty miles to Inveraray ; the other, a trun-
cated one only of three miles, now terminates at Lochgilphead, but
before the pre-historic fall of the sea-level ran through Glen Crinan
and joined the Western Ocean. Engineering has re-united it by means
of the Crinan Canal, but it seems to me that the puffin's instinct for-

THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL. 259

bids them to tiy across the few intervening miles of dry land, and the
attempts of these pioneering parties at discovering a north-west sea
passage are futile, and so the great host must turn south again to
double the Mull of Cantyre.1 I have reared the young puffins success-
fully; one became very tame and attempted to follow me. He was
unmolested by cats or dogs when he waddled about, as they had a
proper respect for his tremendous bill. Before he entirely lust all his
clown, his appearance was, if possible, more comical, as a tuft adhered
to his head like a chancellor's wig.

The Common Cormorant.

Though pretty frequent, is so much less abundant than the green
species that I need do no more than just mention that the bird is well
known to us in every stage — the dingy-black small birds of the year,
and the great old birds, with the remarkable white patch on the thigh
and cheek, when they are known to us as leargs.

The Green-crested Cormorant.
Gaelic, Scarbh (pronounced scarrav), whence the Scotch scart. Danish, Skarv.
Norwegian, Stor-skarf or great scart, for the black, and topp-scarf or all-
kriika, eel crow, for the green cormorant.

The whole year round this is by far the most plentiful of all our
water-fowl, and giving us capital sport, whether we pursue him on the
water or stalk him from the land, and he is of very excellent value
for the lai'der.

The green cormorants breed abundantly in all the great sea caves,
as well as in holes and ledges in the cliffs surrounding Staffa and the
stupendous headlands of Barg and Gribun. In fact, most islands or dis-
tricts have their na scarbh — scarfs cave — where the green cormorants
find a breeding place, and a habitual roosting place all the rest of the
year. Such haunts may best be described by an extract from my
friend Mr Keddie's Staffa and Iona, who visited the green cormorant's
caVe : — " Being excavated in the lower conglomerate rock, the sides of

1 We consider this observation, and the accompanying remarks by Mr
Graham, to be most interesting from a migrational point of view, more especially
as having been written so many years before that subject was treated <>f by Herr
Weissman in The Contemporary Review ; studied by Herr Gatke in Heligoland :
or taken up by the Migrational Committee of the British Association. — Ed.

260 THE BIRDS OF TONA AND MULL.

the interior are smooth and destitute of the orderly and elegant forms
which produce so powerful an effect in Fingal's Cave. The interior,
however, is not without a certain kind of impressive grandeur, arising
less from a sense of magnitude than from the sombre depth of shade
in some parts of the cave, contrasting with the pleasing effects of the
light thrown in upon others. In some of the recesses the gloom is so
deep that the movement of the oar excites the phosphorescent gleam
of the floating medusa?, as in the sea during the darkness of night.
The vaulted roof echoes to the slightest sound, and reverberates like
thunder to the discharge of firearms. The crevices of the rock are the
resort of the cormorant, which, during the season of incubation, is seen
with its dusky form, ci'ested poll, yellow face, and hooked bill,- sitting
with imperturbable gravity on its eggs, or watching its callow young
amidst such a scene of confusion and excitement as we have witnessed
in the cave when its solitude was invaded by a party of adventurous
sportsmen, and the echoes rang to the quick discharge of their fowling-
pieces, when the firm-footed islanders clambered to dizzy heights to
bring down the prey from the crags, and shouting boatmen strove with
oar and boat-hook to secure some wounded bird as it swooped down
from the rocks into the water and struggled for dear life."

The proper season for visiting these caves is when the young are
full-fledged, fat, and strong ; and the proper time is just before sunset,
for the scart is an early bird, and before the sun has dipped they come
streaming home from their fishing grounds to roost the night within
the gloomy recesses of their favourite caves, and may be waylaid at
the entrance. Before coming home for the night their favourite habit
is to rest themselves, perched on an isolated rock, not much raised
above the level of the waves which surround it, and sit in small parties,
still, sombre, and sedate, perfectly upright, so as to look like rows of
long-necked black bottles basking in the last rays of the sinking sun.
At such a time you may sail down upon them, keeping very still and
quiet in the boat. As she begins to get within range, the gloomy,
imperturbable coterie show signs of uneasiness by writhing and twisting
their necks, gazing with alternate eyes, and shuffling nearer the edge
of the rock, but still they hold their ground till the fatal discharge
rings out over the water, and in the twinkling of an eye the whole
lot drop as one bird plumb into the water, without making splash or
ripple. When this happens for the first time to a stranger, it brings

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 261

forth the amazed exclamation of " By Jove ! I've killed them all !" The
more experienced hand only loads up as quickly as possible and stands
on the look-out. Half-a-minute more, and up pop the long black necks
in scattered clumps, some within shot and some beyond, which spread
their sable pinions and fly away, while one or more wounded birds rise
bleeding near the boat, and have to be secured, though not without a
struggle, for they are wonderfully tenacious of life, and a wounded
scart will often give a most arduous chase before receiving the coup
de grace. One does not like to leave a wounded bird, and sometimes
hunting a winged scart is very exciting — the cunning bird diving pur-
posely into broken water, doubling behind rocks, dodging round and
round them, but, worst of all, diving at the snap of the cap, so that
many shots are fired at him in vain. At last he may disappear alto-
gether in a mysterious manner, and never be seen again. This has
repeatedly happened to me, and sometimes in clear, open, perfectly
calm water, far from land, and with enough pair of sharp and practised
eyes to watch all round so that nothing could rise to the surface with-
out being detected. The conclusion at which I arrived was that the
despairing and exhausted creature, driven to the last extremity, perished
with the tangle or weed at the bottom in his death grasp, which he
holds to retain himself submerged when his own unaided exertions are
no longer capable of keeping himself under water out of reach of his
pursuers. In perfectly calm weather the scart may often be success-
fully chased by rowing, and heading him as he dives. In the evening
he is often so gorged as to be incapable of flying until he has emptied
his crop of its superfluous load, and the object then is to press him so hard
as not to give him time to disgorge, which such a proverbially greedy
creature as a cormorant is loth to do until it becomes a question of giving
up his life or giving up his supper. With a light breeze, it is best to sail
down the wind upon them, as it gives the boat most way, and as they
must rise against the wind, they are forced, if they rise, to fly towards
the boat. In winter, we usually get the scart by stalking them from
the rocks as they dive along the coast. At this time we get great
numbers of the young black cormorants of the first year. They are
distinguished from the green by their colour, which is dingy-black
above and brownish-grey beneath, and the eyes, which are hazel-brown.
The young green scarts are fine jet black, and have emerald green eyes.
As we get few adult black cormorants, we suppose that they do not

S

262 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

affect our coasts for breeding purposes. I have now dwelt at sufficient
length upon the how-to-catch your cormorant. I must now say a word
of how to deal with him when caught. There seems an extraordinary
prejudice against him as an article of food — very ungrounded. In
little, old-fashioned books on birds, such passages are common as,
"The cormorant is the most offensively rank of all the feathered
creation. Even the Greenlanders, who consider rancid blubber and
train oil a luxury, refuse to eat the flesh of the cormorant as too dis-
gusting." Now, from many years' experience, corroborated by my
most fastidious friends and bon-vivants, who have tried the experiment,
I aver that a couple of scarts are equal to a good plump hare. As a
proof of this, I have heard a gentleman of property in the islands say
to his gamekeeper, " Donald, the mistress expects a friend to dinner
to-day, so you must bring home a hare or a couple of scarts." And I
have proceeded to help him in his mission by accompanying him in a
boat and landing him on a sea rock, where he remained concealed,
while I took the boat away to a little distance. A scart would soon
come flying past, and be duly knocked over ; this was picked up and
stuck upright on the summit of the rock with the aid of a few sticks
as props, and now a continual succession of scarts would be decoyed in
their flight past to hover over their unconscious comrade within range
of the concealed guns. In this way we soon got as many as we re-
quired, and divided the spoil to take home. The scarts should now be
hung for a week or more, according to the weather, then skinned, and
treated exactly like a hare, for making that pride of the Scottish
cuisine — hare soup. Any good recipe for making this should be
exactly followed.

The Solan Goose.
Only appears from time to time in considerable parties, which
remain fishing in our neighbourhood for a longer or shorter period,
according to their success in fishing. A party of gannets actively at
work fishing is a very beautiful sight, especially in the slanting rays
of an evening sun, which illumines the magnificent stretch of their
vast pinions, and flash upon the white spurt of foam which dashes up,
like the ricochet of a cannon ball, as the bird makes his plunge of forty
or sixty feet, like a shining meteor or white thunderbolt dropping from
the sky. Though unquestionably the noblest of our water-fowl, not
even excepting the swan, yet he is of no value for the pot. It is the

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 263

only water bird we could not eat. It has a strong, rank smell peculiar to
itself, and to the fulmar, storm petrel, and shearwater, which they never
lose, even after the skin has been stuffed some years, and which clings
to any pocket, bag, or box which has contained them. Some years ago
a small crofter caught a solan goose near his cabin, which refused to
fly away, and it was cooked and eaten. Soon after the man and his
wife died, the servant girl was dangerously ill, and the cow, which had
licked out the pot, either died or became very ill. The bird was no
doubt poisoned. I once captured a young gannet in its first year's
plumage, which made no attempt to escape. On examination, one leg
was found swollen to three times its normal size, and full of dark,
extravasated blood. The islanders call the bird asan, while the main-
land name is ansa — apparently a corruption and transposition of
anser ; but the natives of St Kilda (one of the gannet's homes) name
it suilear, from suit, the .eye, in reference to its sharp sight. Its
Scottish breeding places are the Bass Rock, Ailsa Craig, St Kilda, and
Suliskeir (the gannet rock), thirty miles north of the Butt of Lewis.1
The sulair is mentioned in the following St Kilda song, which I heard
sung by a young lady well acquainted with the island and its people.
She favoured me with this literal translation and its chorus, which, being
supposed to be in the bird language, is, of course, untranslatable : —
"There are lofty mountains, and among the mountains, plains ;
There dwell as lovely women as in the plains of the valleys,
With their dun-coloured plaids2 and whitest of feet,
And if they obtain their wish, it is the birds they seek. 3
And the famous men of my love, who climb the rude ascent
And wound the bird with their weapon, beyond the reach of lead,
And merrily descend the cliff to kill the sulair,
Great is the fame that surrounds you.
Chorus of birds — Ho-ro-iag o-wak o-iag-o,

lri-iri-iag o-wak oro. Ho-ro-iag o-wak o-iag-o," &c.
1 Suliskeir, near N. Rona, is the locality meant in the text, and is forty-one
miles from Butt of Lewis. Another locality in addition to the above, is Stack,
of the group "Stack and Skerry," also called Suliskerry, which may be held as
belonging to the Orkney Islands, and perhaps is the breeding-place of the gannet,
which is least often landed upon. As we have ourselves observed, this immunity
from spoliation is most remarkably evidenced by the unusually large proportion
there of immature birds. — Ed.

2 St Kilda sheep are brown, and the cloth is made of their undyed wool.

3 The puffin is caught in snares, which is considered the work of woman,
while the men are engaged in the more arduous pursuit of the solan goose.

264 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

A tame solan I kept was the means of driving away a London
friend by pecking his legs on the stairs, and by his villainous odour.
Declining to destroy my ill-flavoured pet, he went off" in a huff.

Armstrong gives guga as the Irish name.

The Manx Shearwater.

Though not very numerous, is often seen skimming over the ocean,
rising and falling along the waves. They are found breeding in holes
of the rock, laying a single white egg, blunt at both ends, and lustre-
less, like the puffin's and petrel's.1 On some rare occasions I have met
them covering the sea in considerable numbers about the approach of
the breeding season, and they were then very tame, allowing the boat
to approach them quite close. Usually, however, they are seldom at
rest ; they come skimming up to the boat as if led by curiosity, and
then glide swiftly away again.

The Stormy Petrel.
Gaelic, Luchd fairge (pronounced luke farragy), or sea mouse.

In my former letters I have described my experiences of this most
interesting little bird in pp. 78 and 213 of The Naturalist. I will only
repeat that they breed in the islands — in Staffa, under the large loose
stones on the beach ; in the islet of Soay, in burrows formed in the soft
soil — and devote a great portion of the year to the rearing of their
single fledgling. As they come to their holes in the beginning of June
and in the middle of October, many of the young seem but recently
hatched, and but little advanced towards being fledged.

Armstrong makes the following mention of them : — " Shaw observes
of these sea-fowls that they go into holes like mice, and that when they
are taken a quantity of yellow oil falls from their bill. It has been
remarked of them that they hatch their young by sitting on the
ground about six inches from their eggs, and, turning their heads
toward them, make a cooing noise called gur-le-gug — ' hatch with a

1 Our experience is rather opposed to our author's in regard to the lustreless
character of the Manx shearwater's egg. It is blunt at each end, but is much
gfossier, whiter, and thinner-shelled than a puffin's. — Ed.

THE BIRDS OP IONA AND MULL. 265

song' — day and night till they are hatched. They are found in vast
numbers in the isle of Staffa and throughout the Hebrides."

This is very correct, though I never heard the cooing noise by day,
though often in the evening ; it is rather a furring noise, broken by
an occasional click. When its nest is opened up, the bird is usually
found cowering a few inches away from its egg, and, when handled,
spurts up the oil — clearer and more plenteous early in the season.

The Fulmar.

Norwegian, Storm fogel.
I never saw a live fulmar to my knowledge, but I have at different
times picked up three specimens very recently dead, quite fresh enough
to make drawings of, though too much damaged by knocking about
among the waves to be worth preserving as a skin. The strong, pecu-
liar smell alluded to in connection with the solan goose was as strong
as ever in these drifting waifs ; indeed, a single odd feather washed up
on the beach retains it strong enough to show what bird it belonged
to. The wings are very long and expansive, though they fold up in
such a manner as not to extend beyond the tip of the tail when they
are closed.

The Common Tern and Arctic Tern.
Norwegian, Fisk tarna, common tern. Rod nabbed tarna, Arctic tern.
The name of sea swallow is the most applicable to these elegant
ocean martlets, not only on account of their long, sharp-pointed wings
and forked tails, but because they are also the harbingers of spring to
the inhabitants of the coast, as the land swallow is to those of the fields
and groves ; and so sure as I hear their shrill, vixenish screams, and
see the long stroked flight of their sharp wings, so sure do I know
that the 12th of May has come or gone, for their arrival is punctual to
the day. I have no doubt that there are among the clouds of terns
which then arrive representatives of the many other less frequent
varieties, but I am obliged to acknowledge that I never took much
pains to search them out ; indeed, when our tardy and short-lived
summer does arrive, we have so many occupations, amusements, and
engagements to be entered upon, that the fast-fleeting fine weather
months always glide by, leaving many things unperformed. The two
varieties which are abundant arc the Arctic and the common tern, iu

266 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

the proportion of about ten of the former to one of the latter. Almost
immediately on arrival the process of incubation is commenced. The
spots they select are the numerous steep, rocky islets — stacks, as they
are called — which in winter are almost continually submerged by the
awful seas rolling in from the Atlantic —

" The tumbling surf that buries
The Orkwegian skerries,
Answering the hoarse Hebrides,"

but which are now literally covered by the nests of these halcyons of
the ocean. When these rocks are visited the white-winged birds rise
up in clouds, filling the air with their shrill, angry clamour, hovering,
wheeling, and darting at the molesters of their nests, almost striking
them with their wings, exhibiting every sign of rage both in voice and
action, and so daring in their approach as to let us knock them down
with a stick or boat-hook. Undeterred by all this show of resistance,
we would quickly strip the nests, filling bonnets and baling-dishes, or
any available vessel with the spoil, consisting of olive-green, brown-
blotched eggs, smaller than plovers', and excellent eating, boiled hard
and eaten cold ; and this we did without any feelings of compunction,
knowing that the nests will quickly be replenished, which a few days
of stiff westerly wind, rendering their surf-bound citadels secure
against marauders, will enable them to hatch undisturbed. These
exciting egg raids, carried out by a merry party in piratical boats,
armed and provisioned for a long day's cruise among the distant isles,
remain as bright pictures in the memory, encircled by a luminous halo
of happy reminiscences, which will often conjure themselves up in after
years with all the vivid distinctness and minutiae of a coloured photo-
graph or dissolving view. The eggs and nest, in appearance and
situation, are exactly similar to the gull's in miniature, and very
quickly after emerging from the egg the little downy chicks learn to
run upon the crags with a marvellous precocity of activity and cunning
in dodging and hiding among the clefts and crannies, setting pursuit
at defiance. Their island name is steamed.

The Black-headed Gull.

We are not familiar with him in his black cap or summer dress, as
there is no breeding place very near us. The only one I happen to

•

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL, 267

know of is on the shores of West Loch Tarbert, on the mainland of
Argyll, in Kintyre. Mut in winter, without the black head, they are
very numerous among the great flocks of other gulls which feed along
the shore, pick up the refuse of the fishing-boats, and hover over the
plough in search of worms. The sharp-pointed wing and absence of
black tip and white line down its exterior margin make it easily dis-
tinguishable from the other members of the tribe.

Thk Great Black-backed Gull.
Norwegian, Hafs trut, or prost — the priest.

This huge bird, the giant of the gull tribe, cannot be called a
common bird as gulls go, though they may be very frequently seen
either singly or in pairs, when their enormous size and vast stretch of
wing cannot fail to command attention, even from the most indifferent
spectator, as an imposing object in a marine landscape.

His voice is a mighty shout, which has a startling effect on the
solitary seashore when all is calm, still, and silent around, when
uttered suddenly and unexpectedly, as the bird often does, at the
approach of a stranger. After challenging him with this first rude
salute, he goes off into an angry, discordant cackle, cackle, cackle, in a
remonstrative tone, as of a grumbling giant, and is one of those many
strange wild sounds so familiar to the frequenter of the seashore, so
connected with, and adding so much to, the general effect of scenes
which address themselves to every sense and faculty, both of body and
mind. I never found their nest or eggs, and they, do not seem to
consort with their smaller brethren, either when nesting or in their
ordinary pursuit of daily food.

The Lesskr Black-backed Gull.

Norwegian, Sill miise — herring gull.

Though we call this the little black-back, familiarly to distinguish
him from the last much bigger bird, yet he really is a very fine huge
bird, with a powerful voice and threat sweep of wing. His plumage is
exactly similar to the other — that is, pure white, with black mantle
and wings powerfully contrasting with each other, the bill and legs
bright yellow, as are the irides, with scarlet eyelids. Its black-and-

268 THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL.

white colouring gives it the name of the parson among the south coast
English fishermen. We find this gull breeding on the flat, marshy
summits of all the lesser islands, where the nests, mere hollows lined
with a little sea-pink, are so thick together as to make it difficult to
avoid treading upon them. If we find three eggs laid together, we are
rather shy of taking them, as that is the full complement, and so may
be in progress of hatching. When we find but one or two eggs, we of
course take them and put them to the ordeal at the first convenient dub
of rain-water. All that sink are spolia ojrima; those that float, when
we cannot return them to their nests, are flung over the edge of the
cliff, if possible in the direction of the patient boat-keeper some giddy
fathoms down, whose nut-shell charge is the slender connecting link
between you and the rest of the world. Meanwhile the clamour over-
head is frightful ; you cannot make your comrade hear though you
shout in his ear. The enraged birds dash at your head, and your dogs
slink at your heels with lowered crest and tail, as if ashamed of being
cowed by mere vociferous birds.

In the spring, when the fields are newly sown, the lesser black-
backs, then in pairs, may be often found feasting on the seed corn, in
company with rock doves and other birds, and though they are shy and
difficult of approach, they are then tolerably eatable.

The Herring Gull.

Gaelic, Faoileann (pronounced feulin) ; faoile is gentle, kind, mild. The young
and immature birds so sought for by boys to keep as pets are called sglinrach
— a slut, a slattern, a trollop. NoTwtgian, Grii trut.

Is another fine, large, powerful bird, still more abundant than the
last, and to be met with in great numbers along the shores at all times
of the year, and breeding upon the same islets as the last, though the
position of the nest is rather different, being built on clefts and inac-
cessible ledges of the cliffs and precipices, instead of upon the flat table-
land on the summit of the island. It lays the same number of three
eggs, also of the same size and colour, which are equally sought for.

On some of these small islands boats' crews of fishermen take up
their quarters for the summer, erecting huts and tents for sleeping in,
and they trust for their support very materially upon the gulls' eggs
which they can collect, eked out with the little oatmeal they bring with
them. I have often joined in gathering this harvest of eggs, landing

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 269

upon the rough, tall, surf-surrounded stacks, climbing barefoot along
the giddy heights, and bringing home whole hampers of eggs, in which
we not only revel for some time after, but preserve, so as to be
available for salad and other such purposes even up to winter. Apropos
of giddy heights, I may give my experience as an old sailor and top-
midshipman for the usual number of years, that mere height has
nothing to do with the feeling of giddiness, but it is the feeling of
insecurity. As to height, who could wish to be much higher than
seated on the (say) main-royal yard of a line-of-battle ship, where, with
his one arm looped round the lift (a good stout piece of man-of-war's
rope), a look-out man feels as secure as if seated in an arm-chair, with
his three other limbs free for any other use ; but let him hear the
order far down below on deck of " Let fly royal sheets and halliards "
by some officer so careless as not to observe a man in his position, and
his sense of danger would immediately produce a dizzy qualm such as
we call giddiness. I have often been hanging on the face of a beetling
crag without the least such feeling, until a loose stone which I grip,
and about to throw my whole weight on, gives way, crumbles into
fragments, and goes rattling down the deep profound, till the noise
grows faint in the distance, and then such an unpleasant sensation
seizes one somewhere about the pit of the stomach, something between
vertigo and sea-sickness, or intense giddiness, which, if not manfully
overcome, would infallibly send one toppling down headlong with
palsied, nerveless limbs. Meanwhile the gulls, disturbed by the intru-
sion of the egg-hunters, dash about like angry hornets, tilling the air
with their clamorous rage, adding very much to the danger of the
climber's position if he allows their threatening appearance to aliect
his nerves. I have sometimes left a town-bred visitor, who chose
rather to accept the post of boat-keeper to risking his neck in the
perilous rude ascent, and on my return have found him much discom-
fited by the audacity of the enraged birds, who actually culled his
ears with their wings. One declared he would never be left in such a
position again alone, at least without a loaded gun ; "they used such
dreadful language and such threatening gestures," he said, "that
though I retorted by shouting out opprobrious epithets at them, and
whirling the boat-hook round my head, yet I felt persuaded that they
would soon have dragged me out of the boat.'' He amused us further
by adding that at last they used the most extraordinary artillery in

270 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

the height of the excitement — they actually laid a volley of eggs in mid-
air over his devoted head, which descended into the water around
him in a perfect shower ! Of course he was evidently ignorant of
our habit of throwing the refuse eggs over the cliff when returning to
the boat.

The half-fledged gulls are easily reared, and become very useful
garden scavengers. Their wings need not be kept clipped, as they
become so attached to their domicile as never to fly entirely away. A
tame black-back (a female) lived many years with an Iona farmer. It
regularly disappeared at the commencement of the breeding season,
and did not reappear till it was entirely concluded, after having no
doubt reared a brood on one of the neighbouring islands. From this I
should suppose that their matrimonial engagements only last for one
season, and that they do not remain mated for life, though the great
black-backs, which are less gregarious than the smaller gulls, seem to
go in pairs at all times of the year. The immature plumage of the
gulls is a mottled grey and dark brown, bills black, legs livid, and
irides hazel, the tail marked by a broad band of black, which it retains
till the whole of the rest of the plumage has gradually assumed the
pure hues of adult age. In this state they are known as wagels.

The Common Gull.

Norwegian, Fiske miise — fish gull.

It need only be said that this lesser gull exists in vast quantities
about our shores, breeding in the same places as the larger gulls,
affecting ledges and clefts, like the herring gull, for the site of its nest.

The Kittiwake.

Norwegian, Tre taig miise — three-toed gull.

Comes to us in great flocks for the summer, breeding on all the
islands, and Ashing along the shore in company with the other gulls.
Among other places it nestles above the huge portals of the great Cave
of Fingal, at Staffa, and, as the startled birds rise in flocks when dis-
turbed by the arrival of the summer steamboat, they amuse the visitors
by their vociferous iteration of their own name — kittiwake! kitty-wake}
- — which they all keep screaming out in unison, till the air resounds with

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 27 1

the shrill anthem, rising and falling to the deep, rumbling growl of the
surges in the cavern's profundity, which forms a fitting bass to such
Avild psalmody of Nature's wildest children.

The island of Jura (Duir-ey), so called by the Northmen from the
abundance of deer they found upon its wild hills and barren heaths,
still keeps up its repute as one of the best deer forests in Scotland ;
but the deerstalkers are sadly annoyed by vast colonies of myriads of
gulls, which monopolise a large tract as a breeding ground, by the
clamour which they make at sight of any human being, and so giving
the alarm to the wary quadrupeds. An exterminating warfare was
consequently carried on against them at one time, but without any
good result ; for while their numbers could not sensibly be affected, it
increased their vigilance and noise to such an extent that subsequently
different tactics were employed, and they were left undisturbed and
unmolested, so that they might become tamer and less liable to resent
intrusion when they found that it was not directed against themselves.
In a very old edition of The British Encyclopaedia, this island is men-
tioned as being similarly colonised by hordes of skuas ; but these birds
have long quitted it, and is now but a sparse visitant to our seas.'

The Arctic Skua.
Norwegian, Labbe.

This is not a very common bird around our inner islands, though it
may occasionally be seen scudding over the waves in pursuit of the gulls,
or quietly floating on the surface, looking like a nearly black gull.
The usual one seems to be Richardson's skua. Of the latter he reared
a young bird taken from a nest among a colony of these birds on
Stuala island, Cist. Our boatmen are well acquainted with the skua
under the name of fasyadair, which they usually mention with a sort
of contemptuous grin, perhaps from the popular notion which caused
Linmeus to name it the La/rus jiarasitus, or dungdiunter, as it is called
by some old writers, who say "this foul and sordid bird pursues the
lesser gulls till they occasion them to moot through fear, when it
greedily devours the excrement before it reaches the water."

Armstrong, however, in his Dictionary, mentions the fasgadair as

1 But a few have since returned. — Ed.

272 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

"a Lewis bird the size of a gull, which flies with great velocity.
When it observes the smaller gulls with food in their bills, it imme-
diately pursues them so closely as to cause them to drop what they
have got, which it easily catches before it reaches the ground."

The Glaucous Gull.

C. M'Vean and I watched a gull through a telescope, which we
supposed to be a glaucous gull — a large gull, white-tipped wings —
feeding on the carcase of a dog or a lamb cast up on the shore.

!5mH

APPENDIX.

PLACE NAMES IN IONA.

Iona is written Toua by Adamnan, who in sixty instances mentions ^OUH.

Tona insula, Colgan says, to which we have prefixed an H, and so render it Hia
or Hya.

Tighearna writes it la, Iae, hie, and hi ; also, Colaimcille.

Annals of Ulster, la, I, hl-coluira-cille.

Four Masters, hi, I. Irish MSS., la and hli.

Latin niedireval MSS., Hu, Eo. Bede, Hii and Hiiensis.

Scottish MSS., Yi, Hy, Hi, I, I Columkyl, and later Iona.

On Iona tombstones, Hy and Y.

Modern Mull and Iona name, I (pronounced E), "the island."

General name, I-choluim-chille, " Isle of Colum of the cell."

" Iona was suggested by an error in writing, and confirmed by a supposed con-
nection with one of Columba's names." — Br Beeves.

Argyll, Airer district, Gaidhail of the Gael.

M'n'Abb, M'anEsbuig, M'anTsaigart, M'Pherson, M'Vicar.

Robhartaich, O'Roarty, O'Rafferty.

Toiseach, the beginning. " The title of a fourth grade of lord." — M'Intosh.

Tighearna, lord.

Aird, a point. Cheapach, plot of tillage.

Aonaidh mor, great cliff. Chorr sgeir, left behind rock.

Aonaidh nan sruth, cliff of streams. Clachanach, stony ground.

Bealach mor, great gorge. Clack staoin, reclining stone.

Beul buig, mouth of bag. Cladh, cemetery.

Blar buidhe, yellow field. Cnoc an t' suidhe, hill of the seat.

Buaile nan cailleach, fold of the women. Cnoc Uathan, broad hill.

Caibeal muire, Mary's Chapel. Cnoc mor, big hill.

Caman buidhe, yellow hill. Cnoc na cridhe, hill of fold.

Carraig a chaolis, rock of the channel. Cnoc nan caman, hill of cairns.

Carraig an daimh, rock of ox. Corr cilean.

Carraig fada, long rock. Creag ghrugaig, frowning rock.

Carraig na fionaig, rock of crow. Crois, crossan, a cross, crosses.

Ceann an aird, head of hammer (lord, Braonain, blackthorn.

a hammer). Bruim, a ridge.

Ceann nan creige, head of rock. Bun blaiirg, hill of burg (burg, hill or
Ceann f sear, east head. cliff).

276

THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL.

Dusgeir, black rock.

Eaglais mor, big church.

Eala, a bier ; also a swan.

Eilean bhreac, spotted island.

Eilean carradh, rocky island.

Eilean didil, island of affection.

Eilean slat, island of rods.

Eilean nan conn, island of dogs.

Eilean dunagan, island of knolls.

Farig, a fold, enclosure.

Farr blieann, front peak.

Fionn a phort, white port.

Garadh, a garden.

Gara geal, white garden.

Gart na liana, meadow field.

Glac, a dell.

Glas eilean, white isle.

Gleann mor, great glen.

Goirtean, a garden.

Iomaire, a ridge.

Iomaire tachair, a ridge of causeway.

Lag, a hollow.

Laggan, little hollow.

Leachd, flagstone.

Liana mhor, great meadow.

Loch salean, salt-water lake.

Loch nisge, fresh -water lake.

Lochan, little lake.

Machar, field, plain.

Maol, brow of a hill.

Maol nam manach, monk's brow of a

hill.
Mhurlugh, beach ground.
Mur, sea.

Murhigh, sea inlet.
Poll tarbh, pool of the bull.
Port an duine marbh, port of the dead

man.
Port dacha geal, port of white stones.
Port ban, white port.
Port na Frang, French port.
Port na muinter, people's port.

Port Ronain, St Ronan's port.

Reilig, burial ground.

Ru, a point, headland.

liu na sliginnich, shelly port.

Saithrichean, ruins, sites.

Sgeir bheag, little rock.

Sgeir mor, big rock.

Sgeir ruadh, red rock.

Sgor.

Sithean, fairy mound.

Sliabh meanach, middle hillside.

Sliabh siar, west hillside.

Sliganach, shelly.

Sloe, a hole, gully.

Sloe na bo duibh, hole of the black cow.

Sron, a nose, headland.

Smith, stream, tide-way.

Stac, stack of rocks.

Stac Hath, grey stack or rock.

Staonaig, sloping ground.

Straid, a street, a road.

Straid na marbh, way of the dead.

Teampull, temple.

Teanga, a tongue.

Tigh, a house.

T' na h-oise, well of age.

Tobar, a well.

Tobar Maire, Mary's well.

Tobar a cheathain (toper a ceann), well

of the showers.
Tonn, a wave.

Tonn a mhanaich, monk's wave.
Torr abb, abbot's hill.
Torr, rocky pinnacle.
Tra ban, white shore.
Tra na siolaig, sand-eel shore.
Tra na criche, boundary shore.
Uamh mor, big cave.
Uamh chrossain, cave of crosses.
Uamh na caiman, cave of doves.
Uamh an fseididh, cave of spouting.
Uiridh, dell.

INDEX.

Adders, 164.
"Antiquities of Iona," 28.
Auk, little, 257.

Bats, 99.

Better ophon, 13.

Beyrout, the taking of, 17-20.

Blackbird, 215.

Blackcock, 229.

Bullfinch, 227.

Bunting, common, 225.

snow, 37, 225.

Bury Cliffs, 134.
Buzzard, 63, 212.

Canada, life in, 33.

Caves of Mull, 77.

Chaffinch, 227.

Chough (see Red-legged Crow).

Cormorant, egg of, 103 ; black, 104 ;
green, 104, 113, 130, 131, 134, 144,
177, 259 ; green-crested, 259.

Corncrake, 91, 240.

Crake, spotted, 183.

Crow, hooded, 62, 88, 220.

red-legged, 50, 51, SS, 89, 117, 222.

Cuckoo, 158, 178, 227.

Curlew, 112, 148, 149, 235.

Divers, 252.

Diver, black-throated, 109, 252.

great northern, 63, 108, 158, 252.

red-throated, 252.

Doran, 3, 75.

Dotterel, ring, 40, 239.

Dove, adventure in getting nest, 30, 41,

76, 77, 79, 83, S6, 91, 92, 229.
Duck, eider, 39, 86, 92, 250.

long-tailed, 55, 65, 87, 249.

■ wild, 41.

Dunlin, 233.

Eagles, 173.
Eagle, sea, 209.

golden, 209.

Ermine, 99.

Fieldfare, 116, 121, 214.
Florence, 5.
Fulmar, 265.

Gadwall, 173, 248.

Gannet, 86, 262.

Geese, 124, 243.

Garveloch Island, 191.

Glenmore, walk through, 196-200.

Goatsucker, 22S.

Godwit, 232.

Golden Eye, 39, 159, 248.

Goosander, 251.

Goose bean, 244.

bernacle, 148, 193, 245.

brent, 245.

grey, 177.

greylag, 183.

pink-footud, 244.

white-fronted, 173, 245.

wild, 16.").

T

278

INDEX.

Grebe, 64, 104.

Sclavonian, 157, 253.

the little, 254.

Greenshank, 233.

Gribun, 134.

Grouse, red, 229.

Grosbeak, green, 224.

Guillemots, 39, 86, 92, 105-107, 108, 110,

159, 254, 255, 256.
Gull, common, 270.

black-beaded, 266.

glaucous, 272.

grey, 91.

great black-backed, 267.

herring, 91, 113, 268.

lesser black-backed, 91, 267.

Hares, 72.

Harrier, common, 213.

Heron, 101-103, 112, 230.

Heronries, one of the largest, 174.

Iona, arrived at, 25.
place names of, 275.

Jackdaw, 51, 117, 221.

Jura, trip to, in February, 160.

Kestrel, 52, 62, 211.
Killing birds — best way of, 42.
Kingfishers, 184.
Kittiwake, 270.

Lapwing, 238.

London, adventures in, 10.

M'Vean, Coltn, 23.

Rev. D., 25.

Magpie, 185, 222.

Mallard, 146, 246.

Martin, 180-182.

Merganser, red-breasted, 251.

Merlin, 63, 212.

Mouse, long-tailed field, 100.

Mull postmen, 44.

Naples, 4, 14.

Osprey, 173, 1S3.
Otter, note, 47, 100.
Oucliy, 5.
Owl's nest, 190.
Owl, short-eared, 213.

snowy, 214.

white, 213.

Oyster-catcher, 132-134, 148, 239.

Paris, 5.

Peregrine, 63, 210.

Petrel, 44-50, 71, 93-98, 189, 264.

Phalarope, grey, 182.

Pigeon (see Dove).

Pipit, meadow, 218.

rock, 218.

Plover, golden, 40, 121, 148, 238.

ringed, 40.

Pochards, 146, 174, 24S.

Ptarmigan, 229.

Puffin, 57, 115, 159, 257.

Rabbits, 72, 100.

Rats, 73.

Raven, 55, 61, 76, 165, 219.

Razorbill, 92, 153, 257.

Redbreast, 217.

Redshank, 232.

Redwing, 121, 215.

Ring ousel, 216.

Rook, 189, 222.

Rome, election of a new pope, 4.

Sanderlings, 189, 239.
Sandpipers, 148, 233, 234.
Scaup, 248.
' Scarbh,' the, 27.
Scart (see Cormorant).
Scimitars, fine temper of, 20.
Scoter, 250.

Seals, 100, 104, 146, 166, 203.
Shearwater, 38, 86, 92, 264.
Shieldrake, 39, 92, 245.
Shrew, common, 99.
Skuas, 41, 177, 182, 271.
Skylark, 226.

INDEX.

279

Snipe, 232.
Soay, picnic, 29.

description of, 45.

visit to, in April, So.

Song thrush, 215.
Sparrow, 225.

hedge, 217-

hawk, 212.

Spoonbill, 173.

Staffa, 134.

Starling, 224.

St Jean cVAcrc, capture of, 22.

Stilt, 173.

Stoat, 99.

Stone Chat, 217.

Storm described, 114, 115.

Swans, 127, 242.

Swallow, 180, 22S.

Swift, 180, 228.

Teal, 74, 152, 175, 247.
Terns, 57, 91, 158, 265.

Turnstone, 42, 149, 234.
Twite, 224.

Valetta Harbour, 12.

Wagtail, grey, 217.

pied, 217.

Water-hen, 241.

Water-ousel, 214.

Water-rail, 37, 240.

Wheatear, 71, 76, 216.

Whimbrel, 91, 237.

White-throat, 217.

Widgeon, 146, 149, 150, 246.

Woodcock, 115, 121, 164, 174, 231.

Wren, 227.

gold-crested, 217.

Yellow-hammer, 225.

Zebra, 11.

shipmates in, 13.

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AMNH LIBRARY

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