266 WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



morning on July 7th, 1897, when we found the 

 Solan Geese still busy building*, or perhaps, more 

 strictly speaking, repairing their nests, for I saw 

 one hard at work adding to its nursery of sea- 

 weed, although it contained a good-sized young 

 one. 



It was quite comical to watch one of these 

 great birds come creeping along the edge of a cliff, 

 in the face of a stiff breeze, with an immense 



GANNETS ON THE WING. 



tangle of weed hanging from its bill in such a 

 way as to form a kind of rudder, whose eccentric 

 flappings made its bearer wobble strangely in 

 flight. 



I saw two birds steal the materials of a neigh- 

 bour's nest, which they pulled almost to pieces 

 during her temporary absence, caused by our pic- 

 ture-making efforts; and close to the same place 

 we witnessed a terrible battle, which ended in both 

 the contestants rolling in a confused heap right 

 over the cliff. 



Gannets with young are very easy birds to 

 photograph, as they will allow the naturalist to 

 walk about amongst them with no more protest 



