IN THE SHETLANDS 211 
—the mature tint being, in all of them, so vivid and 
so often exposed—unless sexual selection has been the 
operating cause? We would not, I suppose, find a 
corresponding difference in the colour of the internal 
organs, according to the age of the bird. 
The mother guillemot, now, for the first time 
whilst I have been here, utters that guttural, yet 
sharp “ik, ik, ik,” note, which, two years ago, in 
June and early July, was the only one I ever heard 
on the ledge I watched so closely. When another 
fish is brought in there is some more of it, mixed 
with the jode/-ing ; so that it seems now to be becom- 
ing more frequent. But never have I been able to 
make out with anything like clearness that the chick 
has uttered any note at all. No undoubted- sound 
from it has reached me. The time before last that it 
was fed, however, I thought I heard a sharp little cry, 
but it was impossible to be sure whether this was 
from the chick or some of the thronging and clamour- 
ing kittiwakes perched and flying all about. In any 
case, it was nothing particular. 
On the ledge, where there were fifteen birds yester- 
day, there are now only eight; on my ledge, which 
from here I see in its entirety, only the mother and 
chick, another bird—not the father—having just 
flown off. On all the others together I make out 
only thirty-six. I see but one other chick, but a bird 
is sitting as if she might have one under her. No- 
thing can be plainer than that the old birds have 
stayed behind on the ledges after the young ones 
