NESTLESS BIRDS AND ANNEXERS 45 



whilst the Common Tern prefers places where herbage 

 is abundant and where a nest can be hidden amongst 

 it. No birds, however, are more absolutely nestless 

 than the Auks, of which the Guillemot and the Razor- 

 bill are typical species. These birds lay their eggs 

 upon the bare rocks, either exposed to the light of day 

 on the ledges or flat table-like summits, or concealed 

 from view in nooks and crevices. Singularly enough 

 the Puffins — the nearest surviving relations of the 

 Auks — are elaborate nest-makers, spending much time 

 in excavating burrows at the end of which a rude 

 bed is formed. Other nestless birds are to be found 

 amongst the Petrels, although here again we have a 

 group of birds in which some make more or less 

 elaborate provision for their eggs. Bulwer's Petrel 

 and Wilson's Petrel, for example, make no nest 

 whatever, laying their single egg under rocks and 

 stones, whilst the Fork-tailed Petrel and the Shear- 

 water incubate their egg in burrows upon a nest of 

 grass and twigs and leaves, etc. Lastly we have the 

 Goatsuckers, which make no provision for their eggs, 

 but lay them and incubate them upon the bare 

 ground. It seems difficult at present to account for 

 the nestless condition of the Nightjar, more especially 

 when we bear in mind the bird's singular attachment 

 to certain spots, often returning to them year by year 

 and depositing the eggs in exactly the same place. 

 It is interesting to speculate how these species — 

 representatives being found in so many widely diver- 



