Birds. 9125 
April, and upon that day half-fledged young were also taken from the 
Same range of cliffs. A well-marked instance of the attachment of this 
bird to its nest occurred about the end of last month in the Island of 
Uyea, where a pair have long been in the habit of building in the almost 
perpendicular cliff of a lonely “geo,” or deep rocky inlet of the sea. 
A party of boys, finding that the nest was beyond their reach, threw 
stones into it from above, laying it in ruins, and breaking the three 
eggs which it contained, but, strange to say, without causing the birds 
to desert the spot; for in less than a fortnight afterwards, not only was 
the nest repaired, but it even contained a fresh set of eggs. Asa rule, 
destruction of the eggs does not act as a sufficient warning, but if the 
young are taken or destroyed another situation is nearly sure to be 
selected by the old birds the following spring. The usual number of 
eggs is five, but sometimes six may be found: I have often observed 
that after four have been laid, every additional one is paler in colour 
and longer in form. With this exception, eggs from the same nest 
bear considerable resemblance to each other in colour and size, but 
those from different nests vary greatly in both respects. It is said, and 
apparently with some truth, that those eggs which are of the short 
roundish form are laid by young birds; some which were taken last 
year are very little larger than those of the carrion crow. In these 
islands ravens breed in the highest and most inaccessible of the sea- 
cliffs, and perhaps, in nine cases out of ten, the rock im mediately above 
the nest overhangs, while, for many feet below, it is too smooth to afford 
-foot-hold even to the most experienced cragsman ; therefore it is com- 
paratively seldom that the nests are robbed. About ten days ago some 
whales were driven ashore at Uyea Sound, and of course the ravens 
have not overlooked the attraction offered by the still ex posed carcases, 
Shortly after sunset at least fifty ravens and about double that number 
of hooded crows retire from the feast and fly heavily across to the 
neighbouring island of Uyea, where they roost all night. At any other 
time of the year this would excite but little surprise, but in the breeding 
season such proceedings are certainly rather unaccountable. At day- 
light this company of gourmands may again be seen hard at work upon 
the whales, and throughout the day many more ravens, probably those 
which have young ones to feed, are constantly adding to the crowd, 
most of them remaining only for a short time, but carrying away 
quantities of the flesh. The number of crows undergoes but a slight 
‘increase. Although the breeze coming up from the beach now carries 
with it rather more of a Thames flavour than is agreeable, it nevertheless 
also conveys the assurance that as long as the annoyance continues, 
