31 G TROCEEDINGS OF THE 



piled <at the base of the island, and also on a part of the grassy 

 slopes about half way towards its summit. The young are fed, 

 for tlie most part, on sand eels, quantities of which are brought 

 by the old birds to the burrows — each having from six to eleven 

 of these fishes at a time. These are often procured at a consider- 

 able distance from the rock, as any one accustomed to make 

 repeated visits to that celebrated breeding place may easily testify 

 by observing the puffins, many miles away from it, rise from the 

 water and steer straight homewards, with their bills quite full. 

 The male of this bird is said to have a larger bill than the female; 

 and with the view of ascertaining whctlier the former took j^art 

 in the duties of incubation, we turned over upwards of 500 dead 

 ones during the occasion of our last visit, bu.t found not more 

 than half-a-dozen large billed specimens in that number. These 

 puffins had been taken out of the nets in the course of three days' 

 fowling, and in many of the burrows we found eggs and newly- 

 hatched young birds — the former in many instances being addled, 

 and the latter dead. Mr Gray has elsewhere dwelt on the habits 

 of the puffin in this locality. "' 



The Razorbill (Alca torda). 



A very common species on Ailsa Craig in the breeding time, 

 and also a native of the Scaur Rocks in Luce Bay. In September, 

 1859, a very extraordinary mortality occurred among the sea 

 fowl of the Craig, which was largely shared in by this species. 

 A number of razorbills are taken annually by the Girvan fisher- 

 men when drawing their nets, wliich are sometimes floated within 

 a mile or two of the rocks. 



PELEGANID^. 

 The Common Cormorant (Phahcrocorax carho). 

 The gaunt figure of this well-known bird is seldom wanting on 

 our sea beacons and isolated rocks within a short distance of the 

 shore. At any season the cormorant is nowhere more abundant 

 than along the shores of Wig-townsliire, especially that part of the 

 coast between Glenluce and Port- William, where fifty or sixty are 

 constantly seen, either fishing, in the winter months, or, in sum- 

 mer, drying their wings preparatory to their inland flight. Their 



* See "Bii-ds of the West of Scotland." 



