1922] GROMME, THE NEW SCHOOL LOAN CROUPS 41 



majority being built on the flat tops of rocks, but a few were in the 

 forks of bushes tiiat grew out from among them. The nests contained 

 young from a couple of weeks old to large fellows nearly ready to fly. 

 Figure 24 shows a general view of part of this colony, figure 25, a 

 typical nest with nearly full-grown young, while the downy young in 

 figure 26 were removed from their nest and photographed on a rock. 

 A considerable number of the young Cormorants had been killed by 

 stones that had fallen into their nests, and some dead ones at the base 

 of the bluff furnished "picking" for the numerous Herring Gulls. 



Falling tide and rising wind compelled us to take to the boat in a 

 hurry, at two in the afternoon, but our work was completed. Previous- 

 ly we had selected seven fine young Cormorants for our group, and had 

 assisted Mr. Duval in capturing five lusty fellows just learning to fly, 

 for the Toronto Zoo. 



The freshening wind had kicked up a choppy sea and it required our 

 best eft'orts to keep the outfit dry. We ourselves, and the huddled mass 

 of young "Cormoroes" in the bow were pretty well soaked with rain 

 and flying spray before we rejoined the Shrosbrees on Bonaventure at 

 seven in the evening. 



Everyone was well pleased, for we had both birds and pictures. 

 The success of such "side trips" is never certain in this land of frequent 

 fogs, shifting winds, and rough seas. 



COLLECTING FOR THE NEW SCHOOL LOAN 



GROUPS 



By Owen J. Gromme^ 



In order to impress upon the school children the important part 

 that the birds play in our everyday life, it has been decided to construct, 

 for school loan purposes, a series of small environmental groups to re- 

 place the individual specimens which have been used heretofore. We 

 shall, in each instance, strive to represent in as complete a manner as 

 possible, the life of a bird, from the time it is a helpless nestling, until 

 it reaches the adult stage. 



An enlarged properly colored photograph of the actual habitat, 

 forms the background. This, together with the accessories taken at the 

 nesting site, shows the complete environment, while the mounted birds 

 occupy the immediate foreground. Information concerning the habits 

 and distribution of the species shown is given on a printed label, car- 



^Assistant Taxidermist, Milwaulvee Public Museum. 



