A Comic Interlude 4^5 



thing, I am told, for the hen and cock to fight furiously 

 over the body of the poor fledgeling until it is torn 

 to pieces, which pieces they devour with the greatest 

 avidity. Now there are sea-birds as well as land-birds 

 which will eat each others' eggs, but no sea-bird 

 except the Frigate Bird will ever devour the young of 

 even other birds, much less its own. It is a horrible 

 practice, but one, I suppose, that has become common, 

 owing to the birds' curious limitations in the way of 

 food-getting. 



I may just say in passing that one of the most 

 comical natural history scenes I ever witnessed was 

 enacted among these rocks, under my very nose 

 almost. A bird was sitting, and for some reason 

 I did not understand, kept looking anxiously first 

 at me and then down by its side at a crevice in the 

 rocks. I stepped a pace or two nearer to see what 

 might be the matter, when the bird, apparently unable 

 to endure my presence any longer, soared away, 

 exposing two eggs. Immediately there appeared 

 over the edge of the hollow in which the eggs lay the 

 points of a row of claws, and a large crab hoisted itself 

 hurriedly by means of them. It at once embraced 

 one of the eggs, and turning to carry it off, tried to 

 trundle the other one after it by covering the eggs 

 with two of its feet. I had no stick, and a wholesome 

 dread of the nippers of a crab like that, so I stayed 

 where I was and watched the poacher's antics. They 

 were irresistibly funny. He tried to look at me and 

 where he was going at the same time ; he wanted 

 both of those eggs, and they hampered his movements. 

 While he was cuddling the front egg, he tried to keep 

 the other big claw ready for attack or defence, as the 

 case presented itself ; and on top of all his other 

 troubles I could see that he expected the proprietress 



