WATCHING SHAGS AND GUILLEMOTS i8i 



pretty children thus at play, and to me it seemed 

 that it did. 



Guarding the nest and affairs of honour. — When 

 both birds are at home, the one that stands on the 

 rock, by or near the nest, is ready to guard it from 

 all intrusion. Should another bird fly on to the 

 rock and alight, in his opinion, too near it, he imme- 

 diately advances towards him, shaking his wings, 

 and uttering a low, grunting note which is full of 

 intention. Finding itself in a false position, the 

 intruding bird flies off; but it sometimes happens 

 that when two nests are not far apart, the sentinels 

 belonging to each are in too close a proximity, and 

 begin to cast jealous glances upon one another. In 

 such a case, neither bird can retreat without some 

 loss of dignity, and, as a result, there is a fight. I 

 have witnessed a drama of this nature. As in the 

 case of the herring-gulls, the two locked their beaks 

 together, and the one which seemed to be the stronger 

 endeavoured with all his might to pull the other 

 towards him, which the weaker bird, on his part, 

 resisted as desperately, using his wings both as 

 opposing props, and also to push back with. This 

 lasted for some while, but the pulling bird was unable 

 to drag the other up the steeply-sloping rock, and 

 finally lost his hold. Instead of trying to regain it, 

 he turned and shuffled excitedly to the nest, and 

 when he reached it the bird sitting there stretched 

 out her neck towards him, and opened and shut her 

 beak several times in quick succession. It was as if 

 he had said to her, " I hope you observed my prowess. 

 Was it well done ? " and she had replied, " I should 

 think I (^/^ observe it. It was indeed \we\\ done." On 



