264 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



the wings propel it rapidly forward, the feet being only used 

 as rudders when turning. Small fish, its chief food, are 

 captured and swallowed under water, but when hunting for its 

 young are brought to the surface, and it is then that it has 

 to dodge the unwelcome attention of thieving gulls. For so 

 short winged a bird its flight is rapid, but it splashes a little 

 when rising from the water ; when once fairly on the wing it 

 flies straight with whirring pinions, usually near the surface, but 

 can rise high by a gradual ascent. No combination of letters 

 expresses its curious and often querulous growling note ; the 

 young, when following the old birds on the water, have a 

 plaintive whistling mew. 



Early in March or even in February the birds return to 

 the neighbourhood of the nesting colony, but remain on the 

 water for some time before they visit the ledges. In April 

 and May they line the face of the cliffs, resting on the whole 

 of the foot — the tarsus and toes — but seldom walking, for 

 they are poor pedestrians. The eggs are laid during May, 

 usually late in the month, and both birds share in incubation. 

 Before and during incubation the pair exchange compliments, 

 rubbing and playing with one another's bill, or gently nibbling 

 at the dense plumage ; squabbles in which there is much bill 

 biting and growling are frequent between neighbours and 

 perhaps paired birds, but on the whole the life on the ledges is 

 peaceful. Razorbills and Guillemots incubate in close proximity, 

 but the latter places the egg on a more open ledge, sitting upon 

 it in an upright position, whereas the former selects a crack or 

 overhung ledge, and incubates with the egg lengthwise beneath 

 the recumbent body. The cranny or sheltered ledge is usually 

 on a steep cliff face, but holes amongst broken rocks near the 

 top of the cliff are sometimes occupied. 



There is no attempt at a nest, the single large egg resting 

 on the rock. It is more conical, less pyriform than that of the 

 Guillemot (Plate 117), and though showing a wide range of 



