THE SEA HAWK 189 
to the birds, but endurable. There existed truce, 
not peace, between us. So resolute, indeed, and 
steadfast was the hen in her incubation that, when 
it was necessary to know if the eggs had hatched, 
the great bird had to be gently displaced with a 
lengthy pole, always, of course, in such a manner 
that no hurt came to herself or her brown eggs. 
It was not until about a week after our arrival 
that one of the eggs hatched and a chick appeared, 
the feeding of which provided one of the most 
interesting sights witnessed by me in wild nature. 
The training and care of the chick was not only 
in itself curious, but brought out all that was best 
in the parents three. Often only I myself saw what 
it was impossible that the absent parent or parents, 
male or female, could witness, a deliberate self- 
abnegation and sense of fair-play. There was not 
only a rare and beautiful outward courtesy between 
the three birds, but a true inward selflessness, a 
constant practise of the golden rule, “Do as 
you would be done by.” There was never a 
thought that by the combination of two the third 
might, whilst absent, be deprived of participa- 
tion in what I cannot but believe was the deep 
joy of feeding the chick. So speaking a testimony 
to the relationship of the triplice was this act 
that no excuse is offered for the accompanying 
mediocre illustrations. 
It was always easy to forecast the feast. Be- 
