FRAGMENTS FROM THE SEASHORE. 



227 



GANNET ABOUT TO FLY. 



slightest sign of uneasiness at my approach, and 

 just when I had succeeded in fixing the per- 

 versely awkward legs of the tripod amongst rocks 

 steeper than the roof of a house, some unknow^n 

 cause would suddenly disestablish me in the 

 bird's confidence, and stretching forth her great 

 wings she would fly away out to sea. These 

 tactics were very tantalising after the great 

 stiain of dividing one's most acute attention 

 between a timid bird and the fear of making a 

 footslip which would have ended in instant death. 

 However, they w^ere the means of teaching me 

 something interesting to the student of flight. 

 I observed that when the birds raised their wings 



