11 



The Ottawa Naturalist 



[May 



of the shelving bottom ledges from which a sure foot 

 and steady head gives access to some of the nestmg 

 ledges above. As the investigator jumps ashore 

 more of the birds leave the ledges over head, stopping 

 but momentarily to relieve themselves of the weight 

 of the last meal, and a shower of partially digested 

 fish that they disgorge falls all about with squashy 

 flops making the moment interesting and not a little 

 apprehensive to the intruder until the worst of the 

 shower ceases. 



The rock is a coarse conglomerate of innumerable 

 pebbles of all sizes in a matrix of brick red sand- 

 stone. The binding material has weathered away 

 leaving the stones protuberant and more or less 

 loose. While this roughness gives good foot hold 

 there is the constant and well founded fear of their 

 loosening under the tread and precipitating the ex- 

 plorer a hundred feet or more into the sea or on the 

 jagged rocks below. Good hob-nails, stocking feet 

 or thin rubber soles are absolutely necessary on such 

 ground and are sources of considerable satisfaction 

 when by dint of strenuous climbing one arrives at 

 an upper ledge and greater height increases 

 apprehension. 



Many of the ledges wind along the face of the 

 cliff for considerable distances narrowing here to 

 mere toe holds with steeply rounded edges, widening 

 there to shelves several feet across blocked occasion- 

 ally by fallen boulders from above or rendered 

 still more treacherous by the slippery wet oozings 

 seeping down from upper levels. Everywhere is the 

 dazzling wash of white guano, and the strong acrid 

 smell mingled with that of decayed fish liberally 

 scattered about and steaming in the hot sun makes 

 even hardened enthusiasts catch the breath. The 

 great white birds fill the air fanning the cheek as 

 they pass by at one side of a great circle, the other 

 segment lying far out over the water. On the ledge 

 ahead are many more, some breeding young or eggs, 

 on their nests of matted seaweed, others sitting 

 gravely watching the intruder. When approached 

 too closely they lumber awkwardly down from the 

 nest, scramble to the inclined edge and throw them- 

 selves over to catch the air on their broad pinions 

 and join the protesting ever passing throng. 



Though the Gannets are the most conspicuous 

 form of bird life on the ledges they are not the only 

 one. Here and there are long horizontal cracks 

 extending ten or fifteen feet back into the heart of 

 the rock. The floors of these are covered well with 

 red mud, mi.xed with guano puddled and padded 

 by the feet of Murres, Razor-billed Auks and 

 Puffins whose eggs can be seen scattered here and 

 there on the bare floor. When approached hun- 

 dreds of these birds rush out from the bowels of the 



earth towards the light, hurl themselves into the air 

 regardless of obstructions, and so off to sea. Caution 

 must be used in investigating such places, and the 

 story is current and easily to be believed, that one 

 uncautious intruder had both eyes pierced by the 

 sharp bills of the escaping birds. When the first 

 rush is over one can look back into the depths of 

 the creases and, lined against the wall at the back, 

 see rows of young or lingering Murres lined up like 

 soldiers on parade their white breasts gleaming in 

 the shadows. The Murres show little inclination 

 to return when disturbed by uninvited humans, the 

 Puffins, however, keep going and coming continu- 

 ally along the ledges just beyond the danger zone. 

 An interesting fact seems to be that though these 

 birds are not particularly wild on the breeding 

 ledges they seem to have absolutely no fear of 

 danger coming at them from the depths of the cliff 

 itself. One can crawl into one of these deep cracks 

 and squeeze along on the stomach, if the stomach 

 permits and revolts not ; and so worming along can 

 come to the mouth where the Puffins are disporting 

 themselves on the outer ledge. They look in- 

 quisitively at the queer invaders of their stronghold 

 but seemingly fail to connect him with danger and 

 can be watched at nearly arm's length for hours at 

 a time. With their great gaudy coloured bills, small 

 staring eyes and funny waddling little motions they 

 are indescribably quaint while the absolute gravity 

 of their manner and unconsciousness of their 

 comedy makes the humour of their bearing almost 

 irresistible. 



Out on the ledges during this retirement many of 

 the Gannets return. On reappearing a few of the 

 nearest reluctantly lumber off and their single egg, 

 or the black-faced, white down-wrapped young can 

 be examined at leisure. The nests are conical piles 

 of weed some six to ten inches high when new, 

 merged into the surrounding ground with guano. 

 The saucer-shaped depression on the top contains 

 the single egg stained red with the mud from the 

 rock, like all other eggs on these red cliffs. Older 

 nests containing young have been tramped flatter 

 and flatter by the growing young and the parent bird 

 that seems to cease the constant construction, adjust- 

 ing and repairing indulged in previously as soon as 

 the young are hatched. Finally, when the young 

 are ready to leave, the nests are mere flat mounds 

 with little form or shape. 



In rougher weather the ledges can only be reached 

 from the top of the cliffs but the approach from 

 thence is as interesting in its way as from below. 

 Landing on the shoreward side at the village of 

 Bonaventure one proceeds along the grass grown 

 road between quaint nsher-folk houses and garden 



