Oil St'ii ami Shore. 225 



and the air is soon filled with screaming birds. The 

 colony is established on some rising bare ground, 

 and the eggs are laid in scanty nests — hollows lined 

 with bits of grass and stalks of marine plants. The 

 eggs, two or three in number, very closely resemble 

 those of the Arctic Tern, but are larger, rounder, 

 and never appear to have any olive or green tint on 

 the shell. 



Many pairs of Eider Ducks also breed upon the 



The Eider Duck. 



Fame Islands, placing their nests amongst the 

 campion and long grass, in crevices of the lichen- 

 covered rocks, or in holes in the ruins that are to 

 be found on some of the islets. These Eiders are 

 remarkably tame, and allow the observer to watch 

 them as they brood over their eggs. The male birds, 

 however, are much shyer, and never come near the 

 nests at all, spending most of their time upon the sea 



off the islands. Then the Ringed Plover breeds 

 ( M 618 ) r 



