WATCHING SHAGS AND GUILLEMOTS 177 



" A shag (I think the female bird) is sitting on her 

 nest with the young ones, whilst the male stands on a 

 higher ledge of the rock a yard or so away. He now 

 jumps down and stands for a moment with head some- 

 what erected and beak slightly open. Then he makes 

 the great pompous hop which I have described before, 

 coming down right in front of the female, who raises 

 her head towards him and opens and closes the man- 

 dibles several times in the approved manner. The two 

 birds then nibble, as it were, the feathers of each other's 

 necks with the ends of their bills, and the male takes 

 up a little of the grass of the nest, seeming to toy with 

 it. He then very softly and persuadingly pushes him- 

 self against the sitting bird, seeming to say, ' It 's my 

 turn now,' and thus gets her to rise, when both stand 

 together on the nest, over the young ones. The male 

 then again takes up a little of the grass of the nest, 

 which he passes towards the female, who also takes it, 

 and they toy with it a little together before allowing it 

 to drop. The insinuating process now continues, the 

 male in the softest and gentlest manner pushing the 

 female away and then sinking down into her place, 

 where he now sits, whilst she stands beside him on the 

 ledge. As soon as the relieving bird has settled itself 

 amidst the young, and whilst the other one is still there 

 — not yet having flown off to sea — it begins to feed 

 them. Their heads — very small, and with beaks not 

 seeming to be much longer in proportion to their size 

 than those of young ducks — are seen moving feebly 

 about, pointing upwards, but with very little precision. 

 Very gently, and seeming to seize the right opportunity, 

 the parent bird takes first one head and then another 

 in the basal part, or gape, of his mandibles, turning his 

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