978 



THE NATURE BOOK 



ritolo^'raph by P. IVebsUr, Newcastie-on-Ty>ie. 



GUILLEMOTS. 



called to the presence of a bird whose 

 proximity would otherwise remain un- 

 detected. The "Loon" seldom seeks 

 safety in flight, and when detected on the 

 open water at some distance from the 

 shore will often continue to swim rapidly 

 away, incessantly turning its head from 

 one side to another, so as to keep an 

 eye upon its pursuer ; but if your boat 

 gains rapidly upon it. or the bird has 

 ap])roached within some ten or twenty 

 yards of the reed-clad shore or sedge- 

 encircled bank, it will dive at once — it 

 never actually swims into hiding. 



Both species 

 build fl o a t i n g 

 nests of semi- 

 decayed vegeta- 

 tion, the mass 

 being anchored 

 to water ])lants. 

 and constantly 

 added to as in- 

 cubation pro- 

 ceeds. The four 

 to si.x eggs, dull 

 white when first 

 laid, are half 

 buried in the sur- 

 face of the al- 

 most flat nest . 

 which is in fact 

 a miniature hot- 

 bed. The ])arent 

 bird always 



covers her treasures when 

 lea\-ing them, and the 

 rapidity with which this 

 can be done is truly mar- 

 vellous. Thenesthngsare 

 lo\-ely httle objects, with 

 brown and white zebra- 

 like markings and a pink 

 ]mtch on their foreheads. 

 The stripes on body, 

 neck and head soon dis- 

 a]:)l)ear, but the succeed- 

 ing down is retained 

 until the young birds 

 are more than three 

 ])arts grown. On the 

 wing the adults ha\t.' a 

 straight flight, generally 

 only a few feet above 

 the surface of the water, 

 \\'\t\\ outstretched neck 

 and legs, and rapidly vibrating wings in 

 which the white secondaries are con- 

 spicuous. There has recently been some 

 correspondence in the natural history 

 ])a])ers on the late nesting habits of 

 this species ; it is a mere question of 

 local vegetation. On our Norfolk Broads 

 the Great Crested Grebe is very early in 

 commencing to breed. As the reeds are 

 as a general rule only cut once in two 

 \'ears in the same place, the " Loons " can 

 always find sufficient concealment some- 

 where as soon as nature suggests nesting. 

 The rock birds — Guillenn)t, Razorbill, 



Photograph by Atiss E. Shiffner, Lciues, 



PUFFINS. 



