548 WEB-POOTED BIRDS. 



severe winters remaining in deep water, but they are by no 

 means common, and scarcely ever seen in Massachusetts 

 Bay. 



Like most of the birds of this family, they have a steady 

 predilection for their ancient eyry. From time immemo- 

 rial they resort to the same rocks and coasts, and there are 

 but few places, sufficiently desert, rocky and inaccessible, 

 suited to their furtive habits, and marine food. One of their 

 great resorts in England, are the Needle-rocks and other 

 precipitous cliffs, so dangerous to the shipwrecked mariner, 

 which flank the romantic Isle of Wight. As curious and 

 striking works of nature and instinct, these, and the birds 

 which frequent them afford an interesting spectacle in May 

 and June. The Razor-Bills are here in such numbers that 

 a boat full might be killed in a day; and the eggs being 

 esteemed a delicacy, particularly for sallads, the fishermen 

 and other indigent and adventurous inhabitants traverse the 

 precipices in search of the pickle Samphire, and the eggs 

 of the Murre. Some of these stupendous cliffs are 600 feet 

 above the yawning deep which lashes and frets them into 

 gloomy caverns. Seaward they present rugged and deeply 

 indented cliffs, on whose rude shelvings and ledges, the birds 

 arrange themselves by thousands, and without further prepa- 

 ration lay their eggs, which lie as it were strewed without pre- 

 caution by hundreds in a row, no way attached or defended 

 by the rocks, so that in a gale of wind whole ranks of them 

 are swept into the sea. To these otherwise inaccessible 

 deposits the dauntless fowlers ascend, and passing intrepidly 

 from rock to rock, collect the eggs, and descend with the 

 same indifference. In most places, however, the attempt is 

 made from above. The adventurer is let down from the 

 slope contiguous to the brink of the cliff, by a rope, sus- 

 tained by a single assistant, who lowering his companion, 

 depends on his personal strength alone to support him; 



