68 THE ORNITHOLOGIST. 



we pushed from the shore. As we approached nearer the first 

 island I saw it was white all over with Pelicans. The birds 

 remained on the island until we approached quite close ; they 

 kept perfectly motionless with their heads erect staring at us 

 until the boat touched the island, and then they arose in a 

 mass and the noise from their wings was like the roar of a 

 torrent. They new above our heads with their long necks and 

 beaks stretched out in front, and then forming into a line they 

 flew away gracefully towards Reed Island. 



In a moment both of us were on the island, and there 

 a sight met our gaze that would gladden the heart of any 

 oologist, for the ground was dotted all over with eggs of the 

 Pelican, Cormorant and Herring Gull. The Pelicans' nests 

 consisted of mounds of sand hollowed at the top, with the eggs 

 resting on a few bits of weed and small pebbles. The Double- 

 crested Cormorants' nests were made of twigs and weeds, and 

 the nests of the American Herring Gull were large structures 

 of weeds and moss. 



I took a photograph of one corner of this small island 

 where the nests were thickest, and then we proceeded to col- 

 lect a series of eggs of the three species, and all the eggs 

 proved to be fresh, for no doubt this was their second laying, 

 as the storm of June 12th must have washed every egg off this 

 low sandy island. 



After taking sufficient eggs we rowed across the channel to 

 Reed Island, which we found to be about three-quarters of a 

 mile in length and swarming with bird life. In the elevated 

 parts of the island amongst the dry grass we found nests and 

 eggs of Gadwall, American AVidgeon and Mallard, and on 

 another elevated grassy ridge we found thousands of Forster's 

 Terns breeding. We secured a fine series of their eggs, and 

 then after taking the eggs we had collected back to the boat, 

 we decided to walk around the island. AVe found some por- 

 tions very marshy, and had to wade across several channels. 

 On reaching the south end of the island and emerging from 

 a thicket of rushes we beheld another immense colony of 

 Pelicans on a sand bar, but on arriving there we saw no signs 

 of any more Pelicans' nests. The nests of the American 

 Herring Gull were scattered all over the island, and we only 

 took about a dozen clutches of extra well marked eggs. 



