The Old Man 



215 



HERRING GULL ON TREE 



smaller points, ascent was made to its summit, where, among the long, tangled 

 grasses, were as many nests as the small area could conveniently hold, and 

 each containing eggs or young. The owners of the nests, particularly those 

 that contained young, became much more fearless at this time, and came 

 down to within much closer distance, but did not make any attempt to frighten 

 us, as I have often had the smaller 

 Mackerel Gulls, or Terns, do in their 

 breeding colonies. It was a tough climb 

 up an almost perpendicular face of rock 

 to the main island, but I found ample 

 reward by the hundreds of nests, both of 

 eggs and young birds which were scattered 

 everywhere, so much so that it was some- 

 times difficult to walk without treading 

 on them. Most of them contained either 

 two or three eggs. Those which were 

 among the grasses were composed of very 

 little material outside of that which had 

 died down from the season before, and 

 which had been molded into a shallow 

 hollow. Those which were on the rocks, 



and in crevices of the ledge had evidently required the bringing of much nest- 

 ing material. One nest of three eggs contained nearly one-half bushel of dried 

 grass, sedges, sticks and feathers. In some cases but one egg was in the nest. 



The young birds develop very quickly after being hatched, and whereas 

 those but a day or two old would usually rest quietly in the nest with head 

 drooped and bill pointed forward, resting on the ground, those a little older 

 quickly took to their feet and scurried off into the grass and bushes. On being 

 placed back in the nest to have their picture taken, the moment their feet 

 again touched the ground they would scurry off. In many cases, indeed, the 

 young had vacated their nest before our approach. Owing to their covering 

 of down so closely conforming to that of the ground and rocks, it took sharp 

 eyes to detect their whereabouts. The process of getting photographs of the 

 older birds I found to be by no means so easy. The only method which was 

 successful was to have my boatman land me on the island, where we erected a 

 large umbrella-frame covered with green cloth, and in closest proximity to as 

 many of the nests as we could find whose location was advantageous. Then, 

 by his leaving me alone and retiring entirely from the island, the birds were 

 evidently much puzzled as to whether their count of the number of persons 

 landed and again re-embarked on the departing boat was the same. 



I had had the mistaken idea that the birds would immediately return to 

 the vicinity of their nests, and especially to their young, a very short time 

 after my boatman left me. I therefore put into my pocket a couple of biscuits, 



