34 BIRD BIOGRAPHIES 



one repeatedly swooped down at my 

 head when standing on the cliff above 

 its home. I think this must have been 

 the same bird which attacked a friend 

 of mine in a previous year. As he 

 stood by the nest, the large bird rose 

 high above him, then came down like a 

 great feathered dart right at him, not 

 " putting on the brake " until about a 

 yard from his head. He tried to drive 

 it away by waving his stick, but time 

 after time the bird attacked him in this 

 manner. I only know one pair which 

 behave so violently and it is rather 

 alarming to stand near their nest. 



THE YOUNG. 



I mentioned previously that several 

 days elapse between the laying of the 

 first and second egg, and as the bird sits 

 as soon as the first egg is laid, the result 

 is that one young bird arrives in the nest 

 some days before its companions. During 



