BREEDING COLONIES. 
355 
there seemed to fall a perfect snow-storm of living birds; 
both sky and headland were hidden from sight by the 
whirling feathered cloud, of which the little steamer 
seemed the centre: this cloud, lowering to the ocean, 
allowed the outline of Svartholt to become visible again, 
when a fresh scene struck the eye of the spectator. The 
sides of the rock appeared as much covered with birds as 
before, while thousands kept flying to and fro; on the 
surface of the sea it seemed as though, by magic, the 
billows had broken up into myriads of wavelets, each 
glittering with white foam, and yet the heaving mass of 
waters itself dispelled the illusion. The living surges 
gently rocked their numberless children,—which, fright¬ 
ened by the approach of man, had sought shelter on 
their bosom,—as a loving mother dandles the babe in her 
arms. How am I to describe the exquisite scene ? Can 
I say that the sea had interwoven millions upon millions 
of bright pearls in her dark green dress; or shall I 
compare the Gulls to stars, and the sea to the firmament 
of heaven ? I know not what to say. One thing, how¬ 
ever, is certain; I had never seen anything so surpassingly 
beautiful in my life; and all the other passengers, even 
the captain himself, agreed that one must have beheld 
such a scene with one’s own eyes to believe it possible. 
While we all stood amazed, giving vent to loud excla¬ 
mations of wonder and pleasure, the ship was cutting her 
way apparently through the swimming and flying Gulls, 
which, now collecting together, returned in hundreds to 
their resting-place. 
Those rocky breeding places which are not so much 
frequented by Gulls are none the less grand in appear¬ 
ance than such colonies as we have just described. 
During the same journey in Norway I visited the Nyken, 
