The Egg Harvest 
at Bempton. 
(126) THE BIRD WORLD. 
long - experience on the cliffs, and is known as 
“ King of the Climbers,” at work. 
The egg harvesters work in gangs of four, 
one being lowered over the cliff and the other 
three remaining to pull him up again. Early in 
the year the gangs, each of which has a sole 
right to certain parts of the cliffs, decide at what 
point the descents are to be made during the 
forthcoming season, and, having settled this im¬ 
portant point, a descent is made at each at least 
twice every week, however bad the weather may 
be. As the eggs are gathered for eating, this is 
essential, to ensure their being fresh. Indis¬ 
criminate gathering would, obviously, be impos¬ 
sible. This is a point worth noting, as many 
people, hearing that cartloads of eggs are taken 
daily during the season, jump to the conclusion 
that wholesale and reckless pillage is being per¬ 
petrated. This is not really so, as many por¬ 
tions of the cliff face are left absolutely unvisited. 
Moreover, the fishermen complain that since man 
has destroyed the birds of the raptorial family 
that formerly kept the sea birds in check, the 
latter have increased prodigiously, to the detri¬ 
ment of the fishing industry. 
Layers of Fancy Eggs. 
The eggs of the Guillemot vary in colour and 
markings more than those of any other British 
bird, and “ sport ” or freak eggs are always in 
great demand. Mr. Wilkinson informed the 
writer that he had taken a similarly marked 
“ sport egg ” from identically the same spot upon 
the cliffs for twenty years in succession. This 
fact throws an interesting sidelight upon the 
age attained by sea-birds. Though it was im¬ 
possible to actually identify the parent, yet it 
would appear highly probable that those particu¬ 
lar eggs were all laid by the same bird, or pos¬ 
sibly her offspring. 
Precarious Breeding. 
The Guillemot makes not the slightest pre¬ 
tence at nest-building, simply laying her single 
egg upon any ledge that affords a few inches of 
flat surface ; and when this is taken by the climber 
she lays another, and often a third. When sit¬ 
ting the bird simply squats upon the ledge, hold¬ 
ing her pear-shaped egg between her feet, with 
the tapered end pointing outwards. In the event 
of the parent being suddenly disturbed, the pecu¬ 
liar formation of the egg itself tends to cause it 
to revolve upon its own axis or roll round in a 
short circle, instead of rolling straight and 
falling off the ledge, as an elliptical egg would 
be liable to do. In fact, the quantity of eggs 
that actually fall from the cliffs is remarkably 
small, considering the vast multitudes that are 
deposited in such seemingly precarious situations. 
Nestlings, however, strew the rocks beneath 
in hundreds; but should a young bird fall from 
its home to a point lower down the cliff and 
After the Climbs. 
This Photograph represents the way in which the takings are divided. The eggs are placed in a heap—“ pooled, ’ in fact—and 
the menGgather round it and draw from it in turn. 
