The Nesting of the Kittiwake 



mischance must have happened to the latter, for it dis- 

 appeared. 



While at the nesting ground I unwittingly disturbed two 

 young shags which wandered to a kittiwake's nest contain- 

 ing two young birds. Periodically the mother kittiwake, 

 strongly resenting the intrusion, would settle on the ledge 

 and grab one of the young shags furiously with her bill. 

 The latter paid not the slightest notice, showing no resent- 

 ment for what was probably an almost everyday chastisement 

 in a nesting ground where the quarters are so crowded. 



Vv^hen flying from their nests I noticed the kittiwakes 

 usually uttered a long wailing note somewhat resembling 

 the word " pe-oo " ; at other times, when flying around in 

 agitation, they used a high note, " hoch, hoch " ; also a sharp 

 call something like " kik, kik, kik." When what I imagined 

 to be the cock bird alighted on the edge of the nest, where 

 the hen was already standing, he became most excited, 

 shrieking out, "kittiwake, kittiwake, kittiwake," and ending 

 up by "kik, kik, kik." This effort seemed to require con- 

 siderable exertion, and the bird appeared to swallow hard 

 when it was over, as though something had stuck in his 

 throat. 



On July 28, when I again visited the island, most of the 

 young kittiwakes were well feathered; indeed, I think that 

 some had already left the nests, for when I approached their 

 nesting rock a number of the young birds flew out to sea quite 

 strongly, as though this was not their first flight. There 

 was one young kittiwake, however, which had evidently 

 been hatched very late, as it was still in down. 



While watching one of the parent kittiwakes at the nest, 

 I made the following notes on the adult's plumage, observed 

 from very close quarters: Bill, greenish yellow; legs and 

 feet, black. At either side of the bill, at the base, a small 

 patch of dark red. This patch, however, seemed to be almost 

 absent in some of the birds I had under observation. Irides, 

 red. A fully-grown young kittiwake near had the bill black, 



E 49 



