The Sea=birds of the Fame Islands 



201 



before 1 had taken the camera away. Voiin^- in down are 

 yellowish <>Tey. Terns are very ])hieky in dcfenee of their 

 nests, and I saw one ])ursue a Lesser Bhiek-baeked (inll 



Cormorants {FJiahcrocor.ix carbo). 



which liad approached too near, striking at it repeatedly, 

 and following it resolntely for a considerable distance. One 

 of the watchers had been strnck on the head the previous 

 day by one of tlieni. 



Xear to the Tern colony were two nests of Eiders. 

 On one the duck was sitting hard, and our photographic 

 operations did not disturb her. There is no bird which 

 sits closer than the Eider. This one allowed us to stroke 

 her on the nest. The other nest only lield tln-ee eggs and 

 a small quantity of the famous down, which is not de- 

 posited in any (piantity until the full clutch of eggs is 

 laid. The nests are sometimes on the bare rocks, often 



