AMONG THE WaTER FowL 
that represented a fine colony of Double-crested 
Cormorants. The latter were squatting or standing 
upon their nests that were placed as close together 
as possible, resembling in the distance troops of 
soldiers in martial array. 
When we approached within quarter of a mile 
they began to fly off in detachments of a dozen or 
so at a time, to alight out in the lake and watch us. 
Then the Gulls began to get uneasy and at length, 
with a great fluttering, the whole colony rose. The 
air was filled with beating white wings and with an 
almost deafening clamor. There is no bird more 
capable of noise 
thanalarge Gull, 
and every one on 
this island per- 
formed faithfully 
its part. 
Thien) ive 
landed, : and “ne 
sooner had ad- 
vanced a) few 
‘*NO SOONER HAD WE ADVANCED A FEW STEPS FROM steps from the 
THE WATER'S EDGE THAN WE WERE IN THE ) d h 
MIDST OF EGGS OF THE GULLS.” NEST OF RING water se get an 
cepts we were in the 
midst of eggs of the Gulls. The island’s sur- 
face was more or less covered with loose stones, 
with some grass growing on the summit. The 
Gulls’ nests were anywhere and everywhere, among 
the stones, besides clumps of weeds, in the grass, 
rather slight affairs consisting of a rim of dry grass 
or weed that seemed to deepen the slight hollow in 
the ground, which was lined with a few feathers. 
148 
