THE KITTIWAKE 187 



return is about to take place by watching the bird on the ledges. 

 Before its mate actually alights, while it is still some yards away, 

 it will suddenly open wide its beak, and kittiwake a hearty welcome, 

 at the same time displaying the brilliant orange hue of the inside of 

 its mouth, brilliant, indeed, like the inside of a flame-coloured 

 flower, delicate as fine porcelain, and made all the more gorgeous 

 by its contrast with the yellow bill and the soft whites and greys 

 of the plumage. The kittiwake, indeed, and many another bird 

 have this advantage over us, that when they open their mouths to 

 their mates there is at least something worth seeing if not worth 

 hearing. 



The most singular of the domestic amenities of kitti wakes if 

 one may for the moment class it as such takes the form of a peculiar 

 swallowing action that makes itself very visible externally, and gives 

 the bird the appearance of trying to gulp down something that, if left 

 to itself, would come out. A pair may often be seen for several seconds 

 facing, but not touching, each other and "gulping" The action is 

 sometimes accompanied by bowing and sometimes by kittiwaking. 

 At Bempton, in May, it occurred frequently after the kittiwaking 

 which accompanied the return of a bird to its mate on the nest ledge. 

 On one occasion one seemed to disgorge, the other gulped, but neither 

 on this nor on other occasions did I see anything in the nature of food 

 or feeding. Like the other actions above described, except, of course, 

 the billing, it is as often performed by birds when alone as when with 

 their mates. It therefore represents a state of feeling which does not 

 need the stimulus of another bird's presence. But what this state 

 of feeling may be I do not know. The action itself originates, without 

 doubt, in the actual swallowing movements made by both old and 

 young, which will be described later. 



Besides the kittiwake already mentioned, the species utters at 

 least two notes, probably more. One is a clear, somewhat metallic 

 sound, more or less like " uck, uck, uck'' I have heard it preceding the 

 kittiwake, and it corresponds no doubt to that figured by Naumann as 



