yo4 



THE TITTED T'L'FFIX. 



rccurrt-iU iR-liuhu wlmse appr(iaiii luie walches ncrxnusly. \ uu kiinw that 

 the birds are jiislh' appreliensiN e, hut there is something so weird and 

 funereal about tiie whole performance! Each bird in passing pauses to 

 "\ie\v the remains" with mildly deprecating eye, and heaves a visible if 

 inaudible sigh of regret. Shoo! You silly fowls! We are no corpses! 



When convinced of 

 the hopelessness of 

 their cause the Puttins 

 settle upon the surface 

 of the water until the 

 sea is lilack with 

 I hem Or, if reas- 

 sured 1)\- the specta- 

 lor's withdrawal, ma- 

 nv of them return to 

 take up their Quaker 

 \"igil at the burrow's 

 mouth. Each alights 

 with u])lifted wing 

 held well hack. The 

 wings are also lifted 

 from time to time as 

 tho to rest them, and 

 thev are brought into 

 requisition as bal- 

 ancers whene\"cr the 

 bird attem])ts to walk. 

 Be the g<iing never so 

 easy the Puffin steps 

 as gingerlv as a slack- 

 wire ])erformer. 



In glancing o\'er a 

 group of Puffins, one 

 notices that some have 

 three, or occasionally 

 even four, transverse 

 furrows upon the bill 

 (the distal portion of 

 the upper mandible): while others have only two. There seems to be 

 considerable variation of size and distinctness within these limits, and we 

 are led to wonder whether this may not be an index of age, as in the 

 case of the horns of cattle. The tliird sulcus, when present, appears at 



by I he Author. 



"THE HONEY-CO,MBI!D E.M< I H." 



