THE GUILLEMOT. 263 



bowing their heads at each other, with a gravity 

 and solemnity quite unaccountable. On they went 

 for above a quarter of an hour, without intermission; 

 each nodding slowly to its neighbour, who, with 

 equal composure nodded as slowly in return. Now 

 and then, on another ledge, one or two would come 

 in from a short excursion, and jostling the whole 

 line, send a dozen or two backwards over the dizzy 

 height, croaking disapprobation at the intruders, 

 who took the vacant places, utterly disregarding the 

 confusion they had caused. It was impossible at 

 first sight, to divest oneself of an involuntary shud- 

 der, as they tumbled backward, headlong into the 

 abyss, where the sea was roaring and lashing the 

 rocks below them, their squat plump bodies sup- 

 ported only by such comparatively disproportioned 

 wings. One felt 'at every moment a sort of rising 

 exclamation, " Ah, poor bird, nothing can save it ; 

 it must be killed !" when, flapping its little pinions, 

 away it went, cleaving the air, making its circuit of 

 a mile or so, skimming now r and then over the sea, 

 but never touching the waves, and then rejoining 

 its friends on the ledge, and in its turn jostling the 

 line, and causing a similar ejectment of half a dozen 

 others. In these solitary flights, however, they now 

 and then meet with unpleasant adventures, as cer- 

 tain Hawks inhabiting the mainland occasionally 

 make a dash at them. One day, the light-keepers 

 were witnesses of one of these curious rencontres. 



The Hawk was seen in full chase of a Razor-bill, 

 but aware, probably, of the toughness of its skin, 

 instead of assaulting his prey with the usual death- 

 pounce from the beak, he seized the unfortunate 



