AM) ()'iiir:i.' r.iK'DS 45 



possil)l(' to select iicsts witliiii suita))le distMiice 

 of i'(K'k and scnil), Avhcre by tlic addition of 

 ])il('d sticks and fallen hrnsliwood a screen oi' 

 blind conld be made to blend inio the adjacent 

 scenery. 



The first nest attempted, some lil'ty yards 

 from the but, was selected on account of its 

 ])roximity t<> our beadqnarters, and because f 

 had hoped that its owners would have become 

 cai'eless of oui- presence. ('<»mi)osed of seaweed, 

 li'rass roots, and sbredded drift it was based on 

 the i^iant jx'bbles of the beach and safe Trctm all 

 but the most nmisual seas, I'oi- birds, like men 

 who ])nild on banks of ri\'ers liable to Hood, 

 beneath cliffs, and in volcanic ai'cas, will deliber- 

 ately take certain I'isks. Seas had formerly 

 reached the site of this nest the birds well knew; 

 they w^ere ])re])ai-e(l to chance it a^ain doini;' so 

 in their time, in the nest ^vcre throe e^'^s, two 

 lyin,i>" on their sides, and a third standinu;' on its 

 end and the top only showing", so deei)ly was it 

 endx'dded. This (\u,iL»", which 1 think nnist have 

 belonged to an earliei- nest robbed fi'oni another 

 j^air of Hulls and built over, was exhumed, and 

 as the later tenants acce])te(l it without denmr, 

 it w^as thought that a screen mi^ht be safely 

 ventured. Within its sheltei- for many hours I 

 waited; but the ])air wei'c not ea|»'er to sit; and 

 although they I'eturned shortly after my com- 

 ])anion had .i^one, it was to watch for what th(3 

 tide would brinj*' u]). 



Upon a convenient I'ock the birds stood, and 

 at long' intervals "|)ounced npon stuff bronght 

 in by the waves. Once the sui)ply a])))(*ar(Hl to 

 be somethin.i;" in the natur(^ of a jelly fish, at 

 another it looked like a dead hi I'd. l^^ach of the 



