ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 107 



discover their prey at a greater distance, it is obvious 

 that, in such commotions of the air and water, they 

 would need even a quicker glance than they 



Perched at that amazing altitude, they seemed like 

 gloomy sentinels placed to keep guard upon the lofty 

 ramparts of one of Nature's strongholds. Dull and 

 listless, there they sat, heedless of the warfare from 

 below, calmly reviewing from their airy citadel, my 

 puny efforts for their destruction. 



Carefully reconnoitring every still and moving object 

 throughout this world of life, I at last perceived one of 

 these birds resting statue-like upon a sort of bracket- 

 shaped protuberance, some thirty yards below the more 

 thickly-inhabited ledge upon which the greater number 

 of their nests were situated. He was, moreover, so 

 ably protected from all danger by shot or bullet from 

 below by the aforesaid projection, that, could I have 

 brought my projectiles to bear upon the spot with any 

 telling force and accuracy, the chances of injury to the 

 bird itself were very slight indeed. The nature of the 

 case accordingly suggested the following artifice, which 

 I at once proceeded to carry out. 



Handing the rifle to Joseph, and retaining the gun, 

 both of whose barrels I had loaded with green cartridge, 

 I requested him to fire first ; and if he could not hit 

 the bird, whose long pointed head and beak were alone 

 visible, at all events to strike the rock immediately 



