AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS 



19 



glossy blue-black continuous with a broad collar around 

 neck in front, not reaching bill ; under parts from 

 neck, pure white; sides, dusky; basr oj bill and first 

 ridge, dull ycllowisli, next space, arayish-hlue : rest of 

 hill. Z'erinilion. yellozv helon': rosette of ninuth. orange; 

 feet, vermilion; iris, pale bluish-white; conical shaped 

 projections above and behind eye, grayish-blue; eye- 

 lids, vermilion. Adults in Winter: Face, dusky; no 

 eye-ring or appendages on eyelid; rosette of mouth. 



shrunken; feet, orange: most of horny appendages on 

 bill have been shed, leaving it small and pale. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: \ burrow in the groimd 

 1 to 4 feet in length. Ec.cis : i. white or brownish- 

 white, plain or marked with faint spots, dots, or 

 scratches of lavender; laid ot the end of burrow on a 

 thin lining of grass. 



Distribution. — Coasts and islands of north .Atlantic; 

 breeds in North .America from Ungava south to the 

 Ray of Fundy and Maine; winters south to Massa- 

 chusetts; rarely to Long Island, and Delaware Ray. 



Drawing by R. I. Brasher 



PUFFIN (; nat. size) 

 The Sea Parrot of the north Atlantic 



■■ Whether at rest or on the wing, the I'ullin is 

 a curious looking creature," says John Maclair 

 Boraston, the EngHsh ornithologist. "At rest 

 they stand rank above rank on the topmost rocky 

 ledges facing the sea, their black backs, collars, 

 and crowns, white faces and underparts, com- 

 bining with their erect attitude and disiiosition, 

 incline to give them something of military uni- 

 formity and rcgularit}-. Rut when one noted the 

 great tri-colored beak, the apparenth- spectacled 

 eyes, and remarked the mild surprise with which 

 the birds regarded our intrusion, one could not 

 resist the idea that there was something ludi- 

 crously artificial in the make-up of the PuHin; 

 for surely there never w^as a bird less bird-like in 

 its appearance than the Puffin at rest. They were 

 tame enough to allow us to approach ahiiost 

 within striking distance, liad we been disposed to 



strike anything so mild-mannered as a Puffin. 

 When the bird is on the wing, the flight is rapid, 

 but labored, the wings beating violently, and as 

 the bird flies, especially if returning to its bur- 

 row with fish, it utters a peculiar sound — a deep- 

 throated, mirthless laughter, as it were, which 

 may be imitated by l;iughing in the throat with 

 the lips closed. 



" It is a matter of speculation how the Puffin, 

 which catches fish by diving, contrives to retain 

 the first fish in its bill while it captures a second 

 or a third. Possibly the tongue is used to hold it 

 to the roof of the moutli, while the under man- 

 ihlilc is lowered to make the later captures." 

 I Birds by Laud and Sea. ) 



Much of the grotcsciueness of this bird's aj)- 

 pearance is due to its uncouth beak, w'hich is 

 very large, flattened laterally, banded with red, 



