The Birds of Pembrokeshire. KIS 
man has to be secured at the village of Marloes, distant some two 
miles from the little port of embarkation at Martin’s Haven. As 
one crosses the sound a small island, called the Midland, has to be 
rounded, and then the landing place of Skomer comes in view with 
the water near the shore (we are supposing the visit is paid in the 
summer), thickly covered with birds, Puffins exceeding all the other 
birds in number in a vast proportion; little parties of Guillemots 
and Razorbills will be seen diving and fishing; and there will be 
numerous Gulls, some resting on the water, others flying to and fro, 
while single Cormorants and Shags will be noticed passing with 
rapid flight low over the water, occasionally alighting above some 
school of fish, to dive and fly after them in the green depths. No 
visitor to Skomer can escape being astonished at the hosts of Puffins 
that are dispersed all over the island, and are so tame that they 
hardly trouble to move out of his way. In walking, one is sure, 
sooner or later to find one’s foot slipping through into some Puffin’s 
burrow, to the astonishment of the bird sitting placidly upon its egg. 
The whole demeanour of the Puffins may be said to be placid ; it 1s 
not easy either to hurry orto frighten them, Every now and then they 
may be seen scuttling out of their holes, making off in a ridiculous 
manner, with much rolling and tumbling head over heels before they 
can rise on wing; and unless they face the wind, or are on an 
eminence, Puffins are unable to fly; when these conditions are not 
present they can be easily captured. All along the edge of the cliff, 
see how thickly they are congregated ; their white breasts turned to- 
wards you have the appearance of monster snow flakes. As you 
approach the only notice the birds will take is to fall in, in a closer 
order, those outside drawing together with an absurd kind of military 
precision until the host is drawn up upon the very scarp four or five 
deep. And even then, unless one advances close up to them, they 
will remain stolidly motionless, regarding the stranger without fear, 
and with much indifference out of their queer little eyes. Throw a 
stone at them—but this only as an experiment, and without cruel 
intention—and the bird near which it passes will only duck its 
head. As we were watching a great body of Puffins wheeling back- 
wards and forwards over the water, we suddenly noticed one with 
