THE BIEDS OF THE OUTER FARNES 121 



cliff, opposite and on a level with them, we saw at a 

 distance of only a few yards masses of Guillemots, most 

 of them, so far as we could see, sitting, or rather, it 

 seemed, standing, on an egg, and wedged together as 

 closely as sheep in a pen. 



A few had the white lines round the eyes like 

 spectacles which is the distinguishing mark of the 

 rarer ' ringed ' or ' bridled ' variety ; but almost all were 

 the common bird well known, in winter especially, on 

 every part of the coast. It would be impossible to 

 form any estimate of the number we looked down upon ; 

 but, in spite of the attraction of a shoal of small fry of 

 some kind a mile or so out, which was the centre of 

 interest to an excited white and grey cloud of birds, and 

 must have thinned considerably the party at home, 

 there could not have been less than several thousands 

 on the rocks. A field-glass carried us into the middle 

 of the crowd, and we could see all they were doing, and 

 almost fancy we could hear what they were saying and 

 read their characters. Some of the matrons probably 

 it was not their first experience of the breeding-season 

 looked intensely bored. They reached out first one 

 wing then another, gaped, got up for a moment and 

 stretched themselves, and yawned again, with ludi- 

 crously human expression, conscious evidently of what 

 society expected from them, and submitting to its 

 restraints, but heartily sick of the whole concern, and 

 longing for the time they might be free again to follow 

 herrings and sprats at their own sweet will, without 

 haunting visions of a chilling egg. 



