6-2 WITH NATVKE AND A CAMERA. 



each other with their beaks, pecked, s}3hi8liecl tlie 

 Avater, and flapped round and round in snuill circles 

 until one of tliem got worsted in the encounter and 

 dived to escape. Although vanquished he seemed 

 loth to give u]) the struggle, and returned again 

 and again to the charge. No sooner, however, had 

 he got close uj) to the foe than his courage failed, 

 and instead of taking his punishment he dived 

 straight under his adversary and came up a long 

 Avay in his rear. After a while he seemed to 

 acknowledge himself beaten, and took his departure. 



Whilst all this Avas going on the third bird, 

 wliicli I judged to Ije a female, kept swimming 

 quietly round the contestants ; but when the struggle 

 Avas over she joined the conqueror, and they re- 

 mained together in tranquillity for a long Avhile at 

 the same spot. 



During the afternoon I Avas joined by my 

 brotlier, and tfjgether Ave descended a cliff not far 

 aAvaA' in order io examine a number of Fulmar 

 Petrels' nests, which Ave judged to l)e accessiljle 

 Avithout the aid of a rope. By a very diflicult 

 and dangerous scramble, Ave managed to get down 

 to the place Avhere the l)irds Avere breeding. We 

 ins])ectcd three or four nests, handling the t'gg 

 in eacli and making a note of the pebbles and 

 earth iqjon Avhich it Avas lying. Tlie native's of 

 St. Kilda say that the sense of smell in a Kuhnar 

 is so keen that tlu' bird Avill desert its vgg if it 

 has only l)een breathed upon by a human being. 

 Whether there is any truth in this assei'tioii or not 

 I cannot tell, Init cui-iously enougli Avlieii luy 

 bi'otluu- descended to photogra])li some of tliese 

 nests {I day or two at'tcMwai'ds he Avas disma}'ed 

 t(j find every agg gone. As Fulmars' eggs are not 

 gathered bA^ the natives on the island of St. Kilda 



