THE ISLE OF BIRDS 105 



water with a violent splash she had pursued 

 the fish in his own element, swimming at an 

 altogether miraculous speed. To gain this 

 speed she used not only her strong, webbed 

 feet, but also her short, sturdy wings. Dart- 

 ing through the water in this fashion, just 

 below the surface, she was an amazing figure, 

 some fantastic link, as it were, between bird 

 and fish. The herring was overtaken, and 

 clutched securely in the vice of the great 

 parrot beak. Then, with much desperate 

 flapping and splashing, she burst forth and 

 rose into the air, heading homeward, straight 

 as a bullet, with her prize. 



Flying close to the surface of the sea, she 

 passed through the high-flung spray of the 

 surf. At this moment some premonition of 

 her coming drew her mate's eyes, and he 

 caught sight of her, just mounting above the 

 ledges. Following his look, the skua, whirling 

 above his head, caught sight of her also, and 

 marked the prey she carried in her {beak. 

 With one magnificent effortless thrust of 

 his long pinions, he swooped to intercept 

 her. 



The puffin, her great beak and the prize it 

 clutched looking much too big for her swiftly 

 beating wings to upbear, was coming up over 

 the ledges at a humming pace, when she saw 



