SEA-CLIFFS IN NESTING TIME 



Its wealth in sea-birds is the most distinctive feature of 

 British bird life, and the cliffs of the British archipelago 

 are one of the chief nesting-places of the sea-fowl of the 

 northern hemisphere. Birds of several distinct families 

 are included in the great company of birds which visit our 

 rocky coasts and islands during the breeding season. The 

 largest family is that of the gulls, of which six different 

 species nest in Britain, on almost all portions of our coasts. 

 Then comes the family of the auks, now represented by 

 the guillemots and razorbill and puffin ; for the great auk 

 is of course extinct in Britain and everywhere else, and the 

 little auk is only an irregular winter visitor to this country. 

 This family corresponds in the northern hemisphere to the 

 penguins in the southern seas. They are perfectly distinct 

 in origin and relationship, but have acquired a curious 

 similarity of appearance and habit by dint of fishing under 

 water. Distinct, again, from the guillemot group are the 

 family of cormorants and gannets, which are allied to the 

 pelicans. Another independent and well-defined family is 

 that of the shearwaters and petrels, which are among the 

 most interesting species on some of the wilder and remoter 

 sea-birds' haunts. Terns and skuas are not strictly birds 



