A “false alarm” was occasioned at the end of last month by two cormorants or scarts appropriating the signal poles as a roosting-place. One of these poles is fixed on either side of the balcony, and projects horizontally. When a signal is made from the Rock, two-feet discs are suspended from them in pre-arranged positions. A wire stay from the balcony railing supports the extremity of each pole, and on this stay the birds were seated, one at the outer end, the other in the middle. Discs in this position, but pendant from the pole, by our code reads “Send boat,” and this the keeper on shore duty in Arbroath construed it to be and acted accordingly, with the result that we were somewhat alarmed by the appearance of the harbour tug about eleven the same evening. Our impression was that something serious had happened on shore, and that one of our number was urgently wanted. On the tug hailing us, and saying they had been sent out in response to signals shown from the Rock that afternoon, our minds reverted to the birds, and our fears set at rest. Considerable alarm prevailed amongst our families, and not until the tug returned with the news that “All was well on the Rock” were their fears allayed. On the morning of the 27th the sea round the Rock was seen to be strewn with apples, a few dozen of which we managed to secure. Their presence here is a mystery, and we trust has no connection with the long spell of fog we have had. On the 24th we completed a fusillade of forty hours, a record run of fog. _OCTOBER 1901._