Birds. 9231 
hill, so that an enemy is able to make his appearance suddenly from 
above. The same thing will occur in any situation when the male is 
absent, and therefore no warning is given. 
Manx Shearwater.—Manx shearwaters, or “lyries,” as they are 
called in this island, appeared on the 38rd of May. As soon as they 
arrive they either commence digging burrows in the dry crumbling 
soil in the steep cliffs, or return to old ones which have been used 
during the previous summer. The holes vary in depth from eighteen 
inches to two feet, or even more, and are so narrow that the introduc- 
tion of the hand is a matter of difficulty when the hole happens to be 
new, and therefore but little worn by the passage of the bird. When 
a bird is taken from the nest and tossed into the air it seems perfectly 
bewildered, and, after a little uncertain fluttering, creeps back into the 
hole, but is nearly sure to desert it soon afterwards, even although not 
further molested. Very slight disturbance of the soil at the entrance 
is sufficient to cause desertion. Sometimes the egg is deposited far 
back in a deep crevice of a rock, and in most cases a sort of nest is 
made with pieces of dead plants or hay, but sometimes the dry soil 
alone is sufficient. After the egg has been taken the bird often remains 
in the hole for several days before finally resolving to quit. Some 
persons assert that the bird lays only once in the season, but my own 
observations lead me to the conclusion that, although a second egg is 
not produced immediately after the first has been taken, the female 
either seeks a new nest or returns at intervals to the old one and lays 
again when the proper time arrives, some weeks afterwards. This year 
the first eggs were found on the 7th of May, but last year I saw them 
about a week earlier; others will probably be found in a fresh state 
until the middle or end of June. Although in this species the bill has 
a somewhat slender appearance, it is well adapted for the work of 
burrowing in the loose soil, and possesses considerable strength; the 
hooked point is very hard and sharp, as a certain scar upon one of my 
hands can testify. It is said that the young reamin in the nest long 
after they are fully feathered. Eggs of the common barn-door fowl 
are often passed off as those of the Manx shearwater, and even an 
experienced eye will sometimes be deceived. Intending purchasers 
should select specimens which have the shell thin, smooth, perfectly 
white, and of extremely fine texture, and the ends should be without 
wrinkles or rough spots. The well-known musky smell and the pale 
yellow yolk render it easier to identify a fresh specimen. The average 
length of the egg is about two inches and five lines; the breadth one 
inch and eight lines. 
