EGGING ON THE COAST OF YORKSHIRE. 445 



called " Scout Nab," as a small colony of these birds lay there, 

 but we found only a few Herring Gulls' eggs, and some Rock 

 Pigeons' nests, from which I was unable to extract the eggs, as 

 they were so far in the crevices. We only saw one Guillemot's 

 egg here, for the rest had all been taken by a climber from Filey 

 a day or two previousl}'. A Sheldrake flew quacking below us, 

 and doubtless had a nest or young near. My fellow-climber said 

 he had never found a nest. He said there had been a Teal with 

 a brood of young on the Brigg that morning. 



Past " Scout Nab" we found nothing until we came to a part 

 of the cliff called the " Lime-kiln," and here we could see three 

 Herring Gulls' nests, containing respectively three, two, and one 

 egg. I again donned the ropes and went down. It was an 

 awkward place, the cliff overhanging a considerable distance. 

 When this is the case the best plan is to turn j^our back to the 

 cliff at once and slide down the rope, as in this position you do 

 not spin round and twist your ropes. I brought up three of the 

 eggs in safety, not caring to take any more. A Rock Pigeon 

 flying out, further on, I again went down, and saw the nest was in 

 a deep fissure. Creeping up it as far as I could, with my walking- 

 stick held out at arm's length, I succeeded with much difficulty in 

 raking out the two eggs, but cracked them both in doing so ; they 

 were quite fresh, and I managed to blow them on reaching our 

 lodgings, whither we then turned our steps, as it was late in the 

 afternoon. 



Several times in the course of the next few days when on the 

 Brigg, we observed some Cormorants fly into a bend in the cliffs 

 past the Spa ; so we went along the top of the cliff, and saw one 

 of the birds on a projecting point, while two more flew out from 

 below it. Feeling sure there must be a nest there, we went with 

 one of the men on June 26th, but though he and I went down 

 several times we could see no traces of a nest, though the cliff 

 had a quantity of the droppings sjilashed about where we had 

 seen the Cormorant perched. 



We then went to a recess between the Spa and the Bricf^. 

 from whence we had often seen a Rock Pigeon leave its nest. 

 Our companion held the rope above, and after throwing both ends 

 down, I climbed below, and tying the guide-rope round my chest, 

 gave the signal and climbed up the rope — for the cliff was hollow 

 and overhung some yards — until opposite the crevice where the 



