124 A YEAR WITH NATURE. 



The Razorbill is especially interesting as being the nearest 

 surviving relation of the now extinct Great Auk, whose eggs 

 are worth more than their weight in gold. The Razorbill is 

 distinguished from the Guillemot by its much darker upper 

 plumage and broad bill, having a white stripe across the centre. 

 A single egg is laid, which varies a great deal in colour, being 

 white or brown, boldly blotched with liver-brown or greyish- 

 brown. No green of any shade is present on the egg, yet 

 when held up to the light the inside of the shell is of a 

 beautiful pea-green. 



The Green Cormorant may be told by the crest on the head of 

 the male and the brilliant metallic green and bronze plumage of 

 both sexes. One cannot, moreover, mistake their harsh scream, 

 and the call notes of 'kree', 'kraw', or 'krell.' Their nests 

 are built of sea-weed with a lining of dry grass, and are placed 

 low down on the rocks, generally on ledges where the cliff 

 overhangs, so that to reach them one must descend by a rope or 

 climb the rock from the bottom. They build in company and 

 carry the whitening of their dwellings to such an extent that 

 the cliffs on which they build may be seen a mile or more 

 away. The eggs are four or five in number, have a greenish 

 shell, covered over with a soft chalky substance. When first 

 laid they are quite white, but soon become stained by the birds 

 wet feet, and the materials of which the nest is composed. These 

 eggs are never eaten even by the poorest of the inhabitants. 



The Oystercatcher is distinguished from all other Sea bird's 

 by its black and white plumage, long vermilion bill, and pale 

 red legs and feet. Although termed Oystercatcher, it never 

 feeds on oysters, its food consisting of small shellfish for the 

 most part, also shrimps, sea-worms and other crustaceans. The 

 nest if such it can be called is peculiar, consisting of a cavity 

 in the pebbly beach, lined with small flat pieces of stone or 

 fragments of broken shells. Three or four eggs are laid, but 

 rarely the latter. The ground colour is buff, spotted or streaked 

 with dark blackish-brown and pale grey. 



The Herring Gull is very common and is to be identified 

 by its large size and pale grey upper plumage. The eggs of 

 this variety are exactly similar to those of the Lesser Black 

 Backed Gull, and as the two often nest together, it is necessary 



