HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE- GO S SIP 



127 



•side of the headland being the scene of the follow- 

 ing narrative : — 



Since you ask me for it, I send you an account of 

 our expedition after Cormorants. There were three 

 of us. We decided to go ou Thursday, January 14, 

 which proved a bright frosty moonlight night, with 

 a slight inshore wind : the moon rose about S p.m., 

 and at that hour we started. 



We knew the rocks well, and took the most direct 

 course to a spot immediately above where the birds 

 roosted. Here we sat down and made our arrange- 

 ments. We had brought a long stick, somewhat 

 stronger than a fishing-rod, and to the end of this 

 we fastened an ordinary noose of fine brass wire. I 

 had brought a lantern also, that we might examine 

 any caves and holes in the rocks, into which the 

 light from the moon could not penetrate. As it 

 turned out, this lantern proved very troublesome 

 and of no use whatever ; indeed, I wished more than 

 once that I had left it at home. When all was ready, 

 we crept cautiously to the edge of the rocks and 

 looked over. At first we could see nothing. Pre- 

 sently, however, A. made a sign and took hold of 

 his stick : slowly he let it down ; then a sudden jerk 

 and an old cormorant dropped silently off his ledge 

 and lazily flew away, looking like an evil spirit, as 

 his dusky form crossed the bright moonlight track 

 on the water — then vanished. We were disappointed, 

 but spoke not a word as we silently picked up our 

 sticks and quickly and quietly crept away. 



We soon came to our next station. A., staff in 

 hand, leant over the rocks, keeping tight hold of C. 

 I held C. securely by his other hand, clutched a 

 bunch of heather that was growing just above me, 

 and planted my feet firmly in the soft ground. 

 Slowly again the rod descended, then a piece of the 

 rock appeared to peel off as a dark form dropped 

 down and disappeared into the darkness beyond ; 

 this was followed by another ; then another, and yet 

 another. The stick was drawn up, and A. explained 

 in a hurried whisper that he could not see the end 

 of it. We tore a strip off a white handkerchief 

 and bound up the under part of the noose ; then he 

 began again, for so silently had the others departed 

 that the bird he was trying for still slept undis- 

 turbed. The rod was now lowered for the third 

 time ; I clutched C, he tightened his grip on A., 

 and there we lay, stretched on the grass, scarce 

 daring to breathe, with the stars overhead blinking 

 in astonishment, and the pale moon staring with all 

 her might, wondering, no doubt, what mad pranks 

 we were after iu such a strange place at such 

 a strange time. Suddenly a dab — another, and 

 a wild swoop in the air after the escaping cor- 

 morant. Evidently this noose dodge wouldn't 

 answer. As the bird slept with its head tacked 

 under its wing, there was nothing to slip the noose 

 round — besides, the knot wouldn't slip ! 



We got up now and moved to another spot. We 



scrambled down to a ledge of rock, and crawled 

 along the slippery grass, peering cautiously over the 

 edge every now and again. At length we caught 

 sight of a bird on a narrow ledge immediately below 

 us. We stopped a moment. I wedged myself into 

 a hole, feeling, like an old hermit crab, with my 

 hands for claws, gripping C. by his left wrist, as he 

 with his right hand gripped his brother. Then A., 

 in stocking feet, let himself down, and crept cau- 

 tiously towards the sleeping cormorants. As he 

 stooped low down, we had all to stretch our utmost, 

 and I nearly burst out laughing to think of C.'s 

 uncomfortable position in the middle, with A.'s full 

 weight on one side, and mine to serve as balance on 

 the other. At that moment, however, A. made a 

 sudden grab on the bird nearest him. Then was 

 heard a heavy flapping motion, as two dark objects 

 dropped out of the shadow, crossed the silvery 

 track of the moon, and disappeared again into 

 deeper shadows beyond ; but there was more 

 flapping of wings to less purpose, as a third was 

 held up by its long neck, for A. had succeeded at 

 last. We got it up, and took care in the first place 

 to secure its beak by twisting some brass wire 

 round it. Then C. made a hole in the lining of his 

 jacket, and we stuffed the beast in head first. It 

 gave an unearthly croak, which made us laugh. 



We sat down now to rest, and A. put on his 

 boots again. 



The descent had not been easy as that of Avernus, 

 but to regain the top of the rocks certainly was a 

 toil and a labour. However, we got up somehow, 

 and moved to another spot, taking with us the stick, 

 which, however, we didn't intend to use, as it didn't 

 seem to answer our purpose. 



We came at last to a place where the grass grew 

 to within 12 or 15 Jeet of high water-mark. Here 

 we went down, and leaving our boots, the lantern, 

 and the stick, carefully scrambled over the rocks 

 for some distance. Presently we came to a square 

 table of rock, over which we peeped, and saw 

 shining in the cold light of the moon the glossy 

 black feathers of a dozen or more cormorants. 

 There they squatted on bits of ledges, not crowding 

 one another, but sitting two or three on a ledge, 

 some with their heads buried beneath their wings, 

 some with outstretched necks swaying slowly to 

 and fro, their little emerald eyes sparkling in the 

 light of the moon, and the white streak on their 

 beaks looking like " a mocking grin." They might 

 have been spirits of departed sinners brooding over 

 their lost opportunities of doing ill. They made 

 one think of Satan, when he 



" on the tree of life 



Sat like a Cormorant— devising death 

 To them that lived." 



Do cormoranfe perch on trees ? If so, how can 

 they hold on, having no hind toe ? 

 While I had been dreamily contemplating their 



