THE SEA HAWK 183 
from uncontrollable emotion that had to find 
vent in action and physical exercise. It, too, 
joined in the outcry, and the demeanour of all 
three was so furious that we were glad of the 
shelter of the tupari-tops beneath which to beat 
aretreat. After a few minutes we had the pleasure 
of seeing the biggest bird resettle itself on the 
two brown eggs. Not long afterwards a second 
bird took up a position a few feet away from the 
nest rather lower down the cliff. With its appear- 
ance no doubts remained in my mind as to 
the likelihood of obtaining photographs at close 
range. 
I was satisfied on that head, but much aston- 
ished when immediately after the arrival of the 
second bird a third appeared on the scene. It 
was @ surprise that any pair of mated birds should 
thus permit a third to perch so near their nesting 
site. I was the more amazed when after a brief 
period it became obvious that the two sentinel 
birds were on terms of unaffected amity. My 
conclusion then was that the three were married 
—two hens doubtless and one cock. It was 
impossible, however, to remain satisfied for any 
length of time with this conclusion. The more 
I saw of the birds, the more I pondered over their 
relations towards one another, the more I began 
to doubt. At length I was no longer able to 
resist the conclusion that the married “ pair” 
