Anglesey 



rocks that the cormorants come which are to be met 

 feeding miles up the Menai Strait. There are 

 herring-gulls, also, a few lesser black-backed gulls, 

 kittiwakes, and some guillemots, nesting there. But 

 the cormorants form the principal feature of the 

 Rocks. 



With their social proclivities, these birds crowd 

 together chiefly on one ledge, one end of which is 

 separated by a deep but narrow chasm from a project- 

 ing crag, to which descent may be made without much 

 discomfort. The cormorant is not easily scared if 

 one behaves with due decorum. I spent two days 

 with them, I on my crag and they on their ledges, 

 and might have gone on photographing from then 

 until now for all they cared either for me or my 

 camera. There was, indeed, only one part of the 

 camera to which they appeared to take marked ex- 

 ception, and that was the focussing-cloth. When I 

 first put it on the camera, it set the whole black colony 

 in motion ; not locomotion, not even commotion, 

 but just a gentle, general twisting and turning of 

 long sinuous necks. They wondered what it was, 

 the movement seemed to say ; they were even some- 

 what surprised that such a thing should have been 

 attempted in their presence ; they hoped it would 

 never be allowed to occur again. 



Cormorants are the most delightful old humbugs 

 that ever stood up in black frocks and white chokers. 

 They are almost too respectable for sea-birds ; and 

 it is no wonder that the tearing, swearing gulls try to 



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