158 Natural History of the Faraltones. [ZoE 
- run and attempt to squeeze into any little cranny in the rocks they | 
happened to espy, but were very readily caught by hand. The 
~ nest isa simple affair composed of dry weeds,mostly Berza maritima, 
and placed almost anywhere upon a rocky hillside. No nests were 
observed on the steep cliffs overhanging the sea, the favorite situa- 
tion being a hillside of moderate slope. The eggs are remarkably 
well protected in color, and the nest itself is so trifling an affair 
that it may frequently be almost stepped upon without being dis- 
covered, unless the attention is especially directed towards finding 
it. The birds are extremely noisy and vociferous as long as an in- 
truder remains in their territory, hovering over him in large num- 
bers and swooping upon him with menacing cries and gestures. 
Altogether, one feels more comfortable when he gets off their pre- 
serves. But the birds are remarkably inconsistent, for they are 
inveterate plunderers themselves. As the eggers go about the 
rocks, starting all the birds from their nests, the gulls follow closely 
in their train, breaking every cormorant’s egg which comes in their 
way and devouring the contents. They even manage to crack the 
tough shell of the guillemot’s egg if any should be passed by 
the eggers. 
Continuing our scramble up the rogks, we presently reached the 
summit of the west end, where a wonderfully grand spectacle was. 
unfolded to view. We found ourselves on the very edge of a prec- 
ipice with asheer drop of several hundred feet, perhaps, to the sea, 
which was breaking on the rocks below. All about the rocky 
ledges were rows of guillemots, frequently huddled together in 
enormous numbers. Isat down and made rough sketches of the 
birds, illustrating some of the attitudes they assumed. While ob- 
serving them, one which sat upon the topmost ridge stretched its 
neck out and, leaning over, looked down at the sea as if contem- 
plating a plunge. Others were busy dressing their plumage, while 
now and then one would rise up and flap its wings and then settle 
down again. A group of the birds drawn from life is represented 
in Plate xviii. So large a concourse of these birds is a strange sight 
indeed, and one furnishing much food for reflection. Here we see 
the social instinct in one of its most primitive forms. A community 
of ants or bees is far in advance of an assemblage of sea birds. 
Here they live, each pair with a piece of property and home of their 
own, a little nook of rock with a single egg upon it; and the own- 
