THE KITTIWAKE. 
331 
way through a shoal of fish, coming out on the weather side of 
it. Then they make a wide sweep, either seaward or inland, 
and begin once more on the leeward margin of the shoal, work- 
ing up the wind as before. One day, as I was watching the 
Kitti wakes thus engaged, a great horde of Shags came up, 
numbering several hundreds, and settled in the water, where- 
upon the Kittiwakes at once flew away, few decent birds liking 
to be seen in such company. They are remarkable for keen- 
ness of sight, even among the Gulls. I have seen one flying 
steadily along, at a hundred yards above the water, suddenly 
sweep downwards, and pick up a sillack in its bill. 
A visit to the Kittiwakes at home is no less interesting than 
a study of them upon the voes. They delight in building upon 
the ledges of the highest and steepest cliffs, and in the breeding 
season form a charming adjunct to the wild and beautiful 
regions of their choice. When seen from the water, sitting 
in myriads, rank above rank, on the face of the Burrafirth 
“ banks,” or on the magnificent escarpments of the island of 
Koss, they suggest rows of closely-set lamps at an illumination, 
so continuous are the lines. As may be inferred, the nests 
are often very difficult of access, and he who would see them 
to advantage must be prepared to crawl upon his hands and 
knees along the ledges, with the water perhaps a couple of 
hundred feet below him, or occasionally to worm his way, face 
downwards, with his heels several inches higher than his head, 
the overhanging nature of the rock above rendering impossible 
any other mode of progression. The nest is usually upon a 
narrow shelf, not often less than some forty or fifty feet above 
high-water mark, and is made up of dead plants and seaweed, 
ratlier substantially put together. The eggs present consider- 
able variety of colouring, sometimes being of a pale, clear 
greenish blue, or again of a warm stone colour, with a zone at 
the large end of umber brown, brownish grey, and purplish 
grey spots ; the usual colour is pale brownish or bluish white, 
tinged with green, more or less spotted or blotched with reddish 
brown and brownish grey, with a tendency to a zone, as above 
