182 WILD WINGS 



the rocks that stood out of the water. Pairs or groups of 

 Eider Ducks were swimming here and there not far off the 

 rock-strewn shore, the white-backed males very distinguished 



HERRING GULL LEAVING THE DEAD TREE 



in appearance, compared with their sombre brown mates. 

 This was their nesting-time. The female crawls up from the 

 shore into the thick of the small spruces, and beneath the 

 tangle deposits from five to eight large, smooth, yellowish 

 eggs, surrounding them with a profusion of down plucked 



