. The aquatic birds of Great Britain and Ireland . d tobe a peculiarly fine one in full winter-dress, showing the smaller and lesshighly-coloured beak tlian tliat which accomi^anies the nuptial plumage. - I have observed this liabit not only in our seas, but also in the Gulfof St. Lawrence where the steamer I was aboard passed througligreat numbers. 32 498 ALCID.^ water ;^ and in densely-packed colonies they seem to fill theair like a swarm of gigantic flies. On sea they are muchless noticeable than on land, but even when flying themassive head and remarkably deep beak are


. The aquatic birds of Great Britain and Ireland . d tobe a peculiarly fine one in full winter-dress, showing the smaller and lesshighly-coloured beak tlian tliat which accomi^anies the nuptial plumage. - I have observed this liabit not only in our seas, but also in the Gulfof St. Lawrence where the steamer I was aboard passed througligreat numbers. 32 498 ALCID.^ water ;^ and in densely-packed colonies they seem to fill theair like a swarm of gigantic flies. On sea they are muchless noticeable than on land, but even when flying themassive head and remarkably deep beak are —Food is procured by diving, at which the Puffinis expert. It uses both wings and legs to propel itself underwater, and can turn adroitly in pursuit of fry at no greatdepth from the surface. When catering for their young,the parent-birds capture several fish in rapid succession,and as many as half-a-dozen may be seen dangling fromthe sides of their beaks when they arrive on the slopes ofthe cliff. Small crabs are also eaten by the adult Fig. 59.—puffin. Nest.—About the middle of March the birds begin toassemble on the cliffs of both island and mainland. Thenumbers increase for a couple of weeks or more, untilcolonies, in some places composed of countless throngs,have assembled. Breeding as they do in burrows, generallythose appropriated from rabbits, these birds require earthysoil, so that on barren, precipitous headlands teeming withGuillemots and Kittiwakes, they are often scarce. Butshould the summits of the cliffs be capped with patches ofsoft earth, then Puffins may be seen ascending to their loftythough subterranean homes. At the appearance of the Falcon thousands leave the cliffs and dartdownwards to the sea with amazing speed. PUFFIN .|«J) Oiten ail interesting insight into Puffin family-life isgained by the observer who, taking a quiet walk on a day inJune round tlio sharp bend of a sloping cliff honeycombedwith rabbit-burrows, suddenly finds himself in


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectwaterbi, bookyear1906