185 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



A WHITE PELICAN LEAVING A COLONY 



This species is larger than the Brown Pehcan, having a wing spread 

 of eight or nine feet and weighing 15 or 16 pounds. The bird rises 

 with difficulty, but, once under way, sails with surprising ease and 

 grace (see page 17-). 



pried her ja\\s open. She cut through the 

 flesh to the bone. Tlie odds are ahvays 

 against your getting an egg if there is an 

 old sitting Ptiffin hen in the hole. 



We might have lived on the rock for a 

 month and climbed over it every day and 

 not known a Petrel was there, if we had 

 not found their hiding places. They are 

 nocturnal in their nesting habits and are 

 never seen al)out the rocks in the day- 

 time. By digging in the soft earth, it 

 was not difficult to unearth Petrels and 

 their nests. One of the parents stayed in 

 the burrow. 



The Petrel nestling is fed during the 

 day by one of the parents thrusting its 



beak down the mouth 

 of the young bird and 

 injecting a yellowish 

 fluid. The old birds 

 become expert at this. 

 If you take one out of 

 its burrow, he will 

 immediately "play 

 Jonah" in your direc- 

 tion with surprising 

 power of projection. 

 A dose of rancid fish 

 oil shot up your sleeve 

 is not pleasing ! 



One evening we 

 made the dangerous 

 trip to the top of the 

 rock and hid on the 

 north slope. At the 

 last gleam of daylight 

 the Petrels, returning 

 from the open sea, 

 swept in upon the 

 island like a swarm of 

 bats. Those in the 

 burrows came chitter- 

 ing out to meet them. 

 The ground beneath 

 seemed full of squeak- 

 ings and the air with 

 soft twitterings and 

 whistlings. We felt 

 the breath of swift 

 wings, but not a bird 

 could be seen, not even 

 a shadow. Here were 

 acres of nesting holes 

 hidden down in the 

 tall grass and in the 

 darkness of the night ; 

 yet each bird had some 

 inexplainable way of finding his own 

 front door in this hidden city. 



The noveltv of our situation had a great 

 deal to do with relieving the hardships 

 and dangers we had to undergo in living 

 for five days among the sea birds on the 

 vertical side of the rock island. 



We had two lo-gallon casks of fresh 

 water. We could have lived here as long 

 as the water lasted, for it was easy enough 

 to catch fish and we had an unlimited 

 ntiniber of eggs. We had various kinds 

 of omelet, according to the species of 

 birds on the island. Fresh Murre eggs 

 were excellent for cooking purposes, and 

 Cormorant eggs, hard boiled for luncheon, 



