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THE ZOOLOGIST. 



eggs are much liked by the villagers, who say they are never 

 made bilious by eating them. 



The next day my father, brother, and self set out again for 

 the cliffs, and found the men climbing at " Danes Dyke," nearer 

 to Flamborongh. The birds were not so numerous there, with 

 the exception of Puffins ; but these birds were more abundant, 

 probably, because a colony of rabbits also found quarters there, 

 the Puffins doubtless finding the burrows made very convenient 

 for nesting in. The rabbits ran about and disappeared over the 

 edge of the cliff in a miraculous fashion. 



As this was the last time we expected to visit these cliffs, 

 I again donned the climbing apparatus, and was lowered a great 

 distance, until I gathered two eggs of the Hinged Guillemot and 

 one of the Common Guillemot, which were all I could see, one of 

 the men having been over this part of the cliff earlier in the day. 

 Taking a last survey of the wondrous surroundings from my airy 

 position, I gave the signal, and was soon on the clill"-top again. 



The eggs when fresh gathered are of the most brilliant and 

 varied colours, and we were able to choose a splendid series from 

 those we saw brought up. Those with a green or blue ground 

 colour, with black markings, are most abundant ; then those with 

 white ground and black marks; and lastly, those with white ground 

 and reddish brown and lilac markings. Two we saw brought up 

 were of a uniform pale green colour, without any markings. The 

 story that a Guillemot's egg will spin round with the wind must 

 be a myth. The men said they had never seen anything of the 

 kind, and when I was down I should imagine there was quite 

 sufficient wind to turn them round if they would go. The greatest 

 number of eggs we saw brought up at one time was forty-nine, 

 but in the height of the season they sometimes get upwards of 

 one hundred— no light weight to bring up. 



We arranged that night with the Filey men, before mentioned, 

 to climb the cliffs betw^een the Brigg and Scarborough, and started 

 early the following morning (June 19th). We commenced climbing 

 soon after we passed the Spa, but one of the men and I went down 

 several times without finding anything, until he brought up three 

 eggs from a Herring Gull's nest. The clifi's are not so high as 

 the Flamborongh range, but much worse to climb, often over- 

 hanging very much, and composed of soft material which readily 

 crumbles. We climbed as far as a part of the cliff jutting out 



