TO BIRD ROCK IN AN OPEN BOAT 157 



work on the nest and eggs of a Blackpoll Warbler, we re- 

 turned to the house, ate dinner, packed our bags, and were 

 off at two o'clock under two sprit-sails, with a moderate, fair 

 wind. Bryon lies twelve miles to the north, and Bird Rock 

 twelve miles farther to the northeast. 



GANNETS AND MURRE LEAVING NESTS 

 (One of the Gannets is in the mottled second-year plumage) 



Every hour, as we proceeded, the heavy ocean swell seemed 

 to go down. " What do you say," said I to the skipper, "to 

 keeping on for Bird Rock to-night ? " " I was just thinking 

 of that myself," he replied. " Suppose we land on Bryon and 

 look over on the north side, and, if the surf is not heavy, try 

 our luck?" At five o'clock we ran into a cove and leaped 

 out upon the cobble-stones, where the " king " of Bryon Island 

 gave us a royal reception. Keeping a little store, he sells 

 supplies to the few fishermen who during the lobster season 



