MISCELLANEA. 359 



which were covered over with down. My guide told me that it 

 was the constant habit of these birds when leaving the nest to 

 cover the eggs to prevent their being seen and destroyed by 

 other birds. A little further on we found the nest of another 

 Eider in which seven eggs had been deposited. I mentioned 

 this observation to Mr. T. Thompson, and he expressed an 

 opinion that these eggs must have been laid by two or more 

 ducks in the same nest, as the Eider only lays three eggs at a 

 sitting. I have ascertained since that this applies to the King 

 Eider and not to the Common Eider which nests on the Earnes. 



Not far away we came upon three nests of the Common Cor- 

 morant placed close to each other — one contained the young just 

 hatched, the next young ones about a week old, and the third 

 young Cormorants about a fortnight old. These young birds 

 presented a very strange appearance, for, unlike the young of 

 the Duck family which can swim as soon as hatched, these young 

 Cormorants were quite helpless and compelled to remain in the 

 nest and be fed by the parent birds much in the same way as 

 young pigeons are fed. The young birds in the third nest, 

 which were most advanced, were quite helpless and very unlike 

 birds in appearance, — queer, wry-necked, little creatures with 

 smooth, black skins, more like young serpents than birds, for 

 they had neither down nor feathers on them. The nests were 

 large and made chiefly of sea-weeds. Two other nests of the 

 Cormorant were placed on a ledge of rock a little below the 

 others. 



Upon returning to the boat the young birds were so numerous 

 that it required great care to avoid treading upon them. Close 

 by we observed Razor-Bills and Kittiwakes sitting upon the 

 ledges of the cliffs. The latter use dry grass and sea-weeds in 

 the constructisn of their nests for the safety of the eggs and the 

 security of their young. Many of them were sitting on the 

 ledges preening their feathers, their white plumage presenting 

 a fine contrast to the dark background. On leaving this Island 

 I was charmed by the graceful flight of numbers of the Arctic, 

 Common and Sandwich Terns. My guide informed me that the 

 Island we were to visit next, known as the Knoxes, abounded 



T 



