188 



Pictures of Bird Life 



jNestling Puffin {Fralercnla arctica) in Down at Mouth of Burrow. 



journey alone. Off one end of the largest island — called, 1 

 tliink. Staple Island are four detached, fiat-topped rocks or 

 stacks, risino- straiglit up from tlie sea to the lieight of forty 

 or fifty feet, so that the top of them is exactly level with 

 the end of the adjacent island, of whicli at one time they 

 doubtless formed a part. 'I'he whole of the upper surface 

 of tliese stacks is yellow-waslied from tlie droppings of tlie 

 birds, whicli crowd together in such mnubers as to com- 

 pletely cover the fiat tops. Nothing is to be seen but a 

 dense mass of (Tuillemots, so closely packed together tliat 

 a fresh l)ird coming up from the sea has some difficulty in 

 finding standing-room ; and it is quite a common tiling to 

 see several birds standing on the top of their companions, 

 struggling to squeeze in. 



