192 BIRD LIFE ON ISLAND AND SHORE 
feeding is about to be consummated, and now usu- 
ally there is a considerable amount of manipula- 
tion and manceuvring required to get the chick 
into the centre—it becomes the hub, they the 
spokes. With the three parental beaks almost 
touching or perhaps actually touching, one or 
other of the old birds very easily and gently 
disgorges food, whilst each of the three helps 
the youngster to scraps. Jf perchance an osseous 
morsel is brought up, one parent holds the bone 
whilst the others strip it of flesh, or a pair of them 
pulling as if at tug-of-war, the third bird picks 
clean the fragment. During the whole process 
the necks of the old Sea Hawks are lowered 
almost to the ground, stretched forth to the utter- 
most; and if perchance the food regurgitated is 
not wholly consumed by the chick, the superfluity 
is then divided equally and with delicate discrimi- 
nation—most amiably shared amongst the trio. 
The movements of the three great birds, equi- 
distant from one another and ranged like the 
spokes of a wheel, I could never tire of seeing re- 
enacted. The strangeness of the act had in it 
something of glamour and magic. I used to find 
myself—so enthralling was the contemplation of 
the little drama—drawn as if by sorcery from my 
seat amongst the tupari; a little more, and though 
a man and master of a Christian household, I 
should have joined the Sea Hawk circle. 
