Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-11-21
THE TROUBLES OF BABY Gull.
LEMOT.

LEMOT.
Of course all babies have troubles.
Anybody who has ever been a baby
knows that; but without doubt the
Baby Guillemot has more trouble and
excitement than any other kind Of a
baby.
Its troubles begin away back in the
time when it is only an egg. Founder
stand about this and it's other troubles.
however. we should begin Baby Gull
lemot's story at the time when Father
and Mother Guillemot begin house
keeping.
Although a bird with feathers and
wings like any other bird, the guile
mot, which is distantly related to the
duck family, very much prefers the
water to the air. Indeed, it is more at
home in the water than the fish that
belong there, and except when it is
ready to go to housekeeping, it spends
all its time floating on the bosom of the
ocean, diving yards and yards down
into the waters depths in pursuit of
fish, or swimming miles and miles up
and down the coast.
About the beginning of April is the
t a5o1t T %honseR all good q gsillf hnee set set
tain lonely islands, all girt about with
high steep cliffs, to which they always
go, and there they flock by the thou
sand and tens of thousands, until every
ledge is covered. AS they are obliged
to stand upright, like SO many soldiers,
they show only their pure white
breasts, and the different lodges of
rock look as if they were covered with
snow.
Almost any other bird would build
some kind Of nest, but the guillemot is
a very odd sort of bird, and lays it's one
solitary egg on the hard bare rock.
The bare rock, of course, is anything
but warm up in the northern regions
where the guillemots 90. and therefore
the parent birds are obliged to invent a
way of warming the egg on all sides.
This is the way they do it: They pluck
the feathers and down from off a mar
row strip on the breast, and then sit
down SO that the egg touches the barred
skin, and at the same time is covered
on the sides by the warm down. The
part that rests on the rock is still LETT
out in the cold, however, and one
might suppose that the down which
had been plucked off would be placed
under that spot. But it is not; it is
thrown away, for the bird has a better
plan. 1t turns the egg over with its
bill every once in a while, and so keeps
it warm on every side.
Now the guillemot is found every
where in the Arctic Seas OF the Old
and New Worlds. In the winter they
come southwark IN large parties along
the coast of Norway and England, Hud-
son Bay, Labrador and Newfoundland.
Audubon tells us that large numbers of
Bay Of Fundy.
In addition to outside troubles, Baby
Guillemot has its own Stiffness to con-
tend with. No other bird is so lacking
in wit. One species common in Great
Britain is even given the title of 'Fool-
ish Guil'emot." This is from the fact
that it will suffer itself to be taken in the
hand and killed rather than leave the
cliff it has chosen for its abode.
But, as if to make up for its own
Stiffness, if eve a baby had devoted
parents, the guillemot Has, for both
father and mother continually watch
over it, except at meal-times. when
they take turns at sitting on the egg.
But for all their care they can not keep
trouble away; for man has been waiting
for this very time, and at the risk Of his
life allows himself to be let down over
the cliff by a rope in order that he may
gather the guillemots' eggs for food.
Thousands of eggs are stolen from the
cliffs in this way.
This is the least of Baby's troubles,
however. for being only IN egg, 1t is
not conscious of what is going on;
but in about a month or a little
moro it breaks open the shell
and steps out on the ledge of rock, the
prettiest little bail of gray-blaok down
that ever was seen. All! what a proud
and happy moment for Papa and Nam.
ma Giillemvt! They caress the little
fellow, offer MIN the daintiest morsels
of fish they can find, and in fact pas.
all their time in trying, to make Life
pleasant and comfortable for the new
arrival.
But now is the time when the eagle
and the hawk and the gull begin to cir
Gle about overhead, for in their estima
ton there is no daintier meal than
baby guillemot just born. For a month
at least after it is Matched the poor lit
Tie baby is every moment in danger o
being caught by the cruel talons o
some fierce and hungry bird, who viii
ruthlessly tear it from its happy hom'
and loving parents and make but ON
mouthiul OF 1t.
And then after that long month o
fear and agony comes the time whcl
Baby's courage is put to the severes
trial of all. 1t is fully i!edged now
and able to swim, though it does no
know it, and has no idea OF what waite
is like even. However. Mamma know
that the time has arrived when Enb,
must for the first time venture f:on
home. She coaxes the frightened littl
fellow to mount upon her back. ii
knows that something unusual is goin:
70 happen. and his heart beats fast. II
has confidence in Mamma, however
and though full Of fear;1he crouches be
tween her wings, and holds Oh to IL,
feathers with both feet and his long bill
Mamma. who is not a graceful walker
because her feet arc so far back O.
her body and her legs are so short. wad
liz to tl,a edUa of the cliff and any