THE BIKDS OF THE OUTER FAENES 123 



and occupy all the most tempting corners, are much 

 more carefully and substantially built than those of the 

 larger and noisier cousins on the table-land of the 

 island; and the bird, as she sits snugly 'coiled up/ 

 perhaps, best describes the favourite attitude on her 

 eggs, with her white breast exposed and head turned 

 over her shoulder, the yellow beak half hidden in the 

 pale blue feathers of her back, or raised only for a 

 moment as her mate sails up with the last bit of gossip 

 from the outside world, looks the perfection of peace 

 and comfort, the greatest contrast imaginable to the 

 uncomfortable Babel of the Guillemots, a few feet above 

 her. The eggs, like those of most sea-birds, vary much, 

 but are, perhaps, proportionately shorter and thicker 

 than those of most Gulls, and have usually a ground 

 colour of greyish green. Four or five eggs is not an 

 uncommon number for a Kittiwake to sit upon; but 

 none of the nests into which we were able to look had 

 more than three in it. 



As we passed a clump of campion on our way back 

 to the boat, we all but trod on an Eider Duck, who was 

 sitting on a couple of eggs. She rose slowly and 

 heavily, with a flight like a Greyhen's, and lit a few 

 hundred yards out to sea, where she was at once joined 

 by her handsome mate, who had been concealed on 

 guard not far off among the rocks of the bay. The 

 Drake unlike the Duck, which, when nesting, entirely 

 changes her habits, and becomes, as we saw for our- 

 selves, as tame as an Aylesbury, allowing herself to be 

 almost touched before she rises never loses his 



