122 Our Bird Friends. 



feathers scattered about on the heather and thereby 

 find and destroy their family of white llutiy 

 bairns. 



Sea-birds generally keep the best of tables, and 

 when the young are out a large colony of Cor- 

 morants is hardly approachable for the smell of 

 fish in all stages of decay. The waste of good food 

 is simply wicked, and I have seen beautiful Eels 

 and Sand Dabs lying about quite neglected, gave 

 when a cunning old Lesser Black-Backed Gull took 

 advantage of the absence of the adult (Airmorants 

 and snatclicd up whatever unconsidered trifle he 

 could find. 



Gannets, too, feed their siugle youngsters on the 

 most liberal scale, as may be seen from the fat, 

 podgy fellow sitting by his mother in the illustration 

 opposite. I am sure that young (iannets. or Solan 

 Geese, as they are otherwise known, ought to 

 grow up obedient and dutit'ul cliildrm : lor 

 they enjoy the love and protection of the most 

 considerate and devoted mothers in the bird world 

 I have walked from ledge to ledge of a Gannet 

 colony on the top of a dizzying ocean clift' when 

 the old birds were sitting on their nests guarding 

 their young and pecking vigorously at my legs 

 with their great strong bills, as much as to say, 

 "You be oft'! We are not going to desert our 

 babies for anything or anybody." Of course, I 

 admired the brave birds, and readily forgave their 

 attacks on m}^ legs. 



