WILD WINGS 
168 
a splendid season. A group of half a dozen Gannets stuck 
devotedly to their nests and allowed us to photograph them 
as near as we desired. When 1 ]3ushed at one with my foot 
to make it change its attitude, it merely raised its head and 
squawked angrily. Those on the “ Pillar,” the isolated crag 
out in the water, remained peacefully on their nests while we 
photographed them. 
We had about two hours on the Rock, when the keeper 
fired a bomb for us to return, as the barometer was falling 
and the wind increasing. After dinner I changed plates again, 
and three of us were then lowered down in the crate to 
photograj:>h Kittiwakes and Murres. It gives a somewhat 
uncanny sensation hanging in mid-air, at times sjfinning 
around like a top. But we forget that in gazing at the Kitti¬ 
wakes peacefully upon their nests, or launching forth and 
returning. Usually there were two eggs to a nest, in some 
cases three, or only one, the latter, probably, in cases where 
one or more had rolled out. A few nests alreadv contained 
young. The Murres shrank back bashfully against the wall 
of rock under our interested gaze and the aiming of cameras. 
In some cases the birds were but five feet from us, but they 
had become accustomed to the jrassage of the crate. 
We had intended to remain upon Bird Rock one more 
day. But late in the afternoon the keeper told us that the 
barometer was still falling and that it would undoubtedly 
storm the next day, and it might be another week before the 
sea would calm down again. The wind was fair ; and for our 
good, in order to catch our steamer, he advised us to start 
back that afternoon. This we decided to d(^. Before that, 
I again climbed bv a ladder halfwav down the cliff at the 
north end, and crept along the narrow ledge out to the north¬ 
west corner, where I exposed my remaining plates upon the 
splendid array of birds on the ledges spread out before me. 
