AT THE SOUTH STACK. 
425 
short excursion, and jostling the whole line, send a dozen or 
two backwards over the dizzy height, croaking disapproba- 
tion at the intruders, who took the vacant places, utterly 
disregarding the confusion they had caused. It was impossible 
at first sight to divest oneself of an involuntary shudder, as 
they tumbled backwards headlong into the abyss, where the 
sea was roaring and lashing the rocks below them, their squat 
plump bodies supported only by such comparatively dispro- 
portioned wings. One felt at every moment a sort of rising 
exclamation, “ Ah, poor bird, nothing can save it ; it must 
be killed!” when, flapping its little pinions, away it went 
cleaving the air, making its circuit of a mile or so, skimming 
now and then over the sea, but never touching the waves, 
and then rejoining its friends on the ledge, and in its turn 
jostling the line, and causing a similar ejectment of half a 
dozen others. In these solitary flights, however, they now 
and then meet with unpleasant adventures, as certain Hawks 
inhabiting the mainland occasionally make a dash at them. 
One day, the light-keepers were witnesses of one of these 
curious rencontres. 
The Hawk was seen in full chase of a Razor-bill, but 
aware, probably, of the toughness of its skin, instead of 
assaulting his prey with the usual death -pounce from the 
beak, he seized the unfortunate bird by the head with both 
his claws, and made towards the land, his prisoner croaking, 
screaming, and struggling lustily ; and, being a heavy bird, 
so far incommoded or over-balanced its aggressor, that both 
descended fast towards the sea, when just as they touched 
the water, the Hawk let go his hold and ascended, — the 
Razor-bill as instantaneously diving below. 
Amidst the myriads of old ones, we looked in vain for 
anything like a corresponding number of young, but scarcely 
a single individual was to be seen. It is true that the 
females produce only one egg; but still that could not 
account for the small number visible : we could only there- 
fore suspect, from certain friendly croakings uttered by the 
old ones, when turning their heads towards little chinks, 
