THE SEA HAWK 193 
The second egg was addled. One morning, as 
I was watching, it exploded with a soft plop 
beneath the hen who happened to be sitting. 
Whether she really was unaware of the event or 
thought it good manners before me to appear 
not to notice it, I do not know. At any rate, she 
sat unmoved until the chick, not appreciating the 
reek or becoming hungry, ventured forth. When 
rising from her nest the hen moved forth to par- 
ticipate in the feeding processes, the broken egg 
stuck to her feathers, and finally becoming de- 
tached rolled in front of her, and was several 
times disdainfully touched by her bill. Next 
morning it was gone. 
Although during our intercourse with this house- 
hold at no time did it become friendly towards 
us, we on our part could not but sympathise with 
the happiness of the old birds in their child, even 
in the small ailments and ills that extended to 
them as to all living things whatever their rank 
in life, or creed, or breed. 
I have mentioned the torn webbing of the 
feet. One of the old birds was slightly lame for a 
time. Another for a few days suffered from a cold 
in the head, or at any rate from some such nasal 
distress as amongst us would have necessitated 
the use of a pocket-handkerchief. Often a drop 
would gather and hang at the end of the patient 
creature’s neb. When perhaps it became an 
N 
