449 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



she had some difl&culty in getting below again, for the wind struck 

 upwards from the cliff as it blew in from the sea. These birds are 

 often blown inland in stormy weather, and never get back again, 

 seeming to get quite bewildered. 



;£1 reward is offered for information given for every bird 

 killed or taken during the close season ; hence a sharp look out 

 is kept for any offenders against the law. We were glad to hear 

 that the birds have been increasing in numbers every year since 

 the Act was passed, and we were told that if the passing of the 

 Act had been delayed a few more years there would have been no 

 birds left. 



On asking whether they would let us try to bring up some 

 eggs, they said " Yes, if we dared." Accordingly we arranged to 

 go next da}', and they would find an easy place or two where the 

 cliff was not hollow. After going down a few more places they left 

 off for that day, as one of the set was absent, and it was hard 

 work for only two to keep pulling up the third all da}'. They 

 take it in turns to go down, one man climbing one day and next 

 day another, and all the eggs are divided equally among them. 

 They sell most of them for eating among the villagers and farmers, 

 but pick out some of the best-marked specimens to sell to visitors 

 at neighbouring watering-places, and sometimes to an egg dealer. 

 They have their regular places where they always go down, and 

 each place is visited twice a week, so that the eggs cannot get 

 incubated. The different sets of climbers along the cliffs have 

 each their own ground, and do not trespass on one anotlier's 

 territory. The farmers along whose fields they climb receive a 

 basketful or so of eggs as rent. The men are ordinary working 

 men, perhaps renting a field or two, and climb from about tlie 

 middle of April or beginning of May till the first week in July, 

 though they cannot climb when the weather is very wild or wet. 



On arriving the next day at the cliff-top, I found the men at 

 work nearer Speeton, on Raincliff, where the cliffs are about four 

 hundred feet in height; the highest point is at Speeton, four 

 hundred and fifty feet. They were just at the place where they 

 had decided to let me down, so taking off my hat, coat and watch 

 I donned the breeches, bags and gauntlet, and grasping the hand- 

 rope, proceeded to walk backwards oft' the edge. I should imagine 

 it is the first turning over the edge that tries tlie nerves of the 

 amateur most. I felt an inclination to kneel on the edge instead 



