6 THE NATURAL BISTORY 
They feem to employ themfelves in. this 
 fifhing with great gaiety and cheerfulnefs, if we 
may judge from the variety of their cries, which — 
may be heard at a great diftance:-but they only — 
flock together i in maekoae time ; afterwards they 
: all difperfe. , 
_ The tail of the pe ee is Glatedd: tie sate ‘ 
outer tail feathers are half white and half black. 
They are found in the feas near Europe. The male — 
and the female always fly together. They are 
-very quick and {fkilful fifhers, and digeft the ith — 
almoft as foon as they are fwallowed: that part — 
which is the loweft digefts firft. The female lays 
_ two or three large eggs, in a little hollow in the 
fand,*always fheltered from ‘the north wind; and — 
if any perfon approach the neft, both the birds 
attack him, crying very loud and frequently. — 
The female fits on her eggs only in the night, or . 
whilft it rains in the day: at all other times fhe 
~ Jeaves them to be hatched by the heat of the fun. — 
The young draw themfelves along, and leave the. 
neft almoft as foon as they are hatched. The — 
parents feed them with pieces of fith, and cover 
them under their wings at night. But this care 
does not contigue long. The little ones. then keep. 
themfelves warm by tying clofe together: arid the — 
Barts, inftead of feeding them with their beaks, | 
let 
