PUFFIN. 167 
their work, as to allow themselves to , ‘aken by the hand; 
and the same may also be done when the bird is sitting on 
its egg. The young are hatched after a month’s incubation. 
In about a like period of time, or a week or two more, they 
come to their full feathers, and are able to quit their native 
burrows, and enter on their ocean of life. Meyer says that 
where both birds have been killed, others have been known 
to take charge of the egg or young. 
Only one egg is laid, and its colour is white, sometimes 
spotted with pale grey. 
These birds begin to assemble in April, and the building- 
time is at the end of May or beginning of June. 
Male; weight, between twelve and thirteen ounces; length, 
one foot to one foot one inch. The bill, which derives its 
name from a fancied resemblance between its curious shape 
and the coulter of a ploughshare, is of several colours, the 
bare part about the mouth, which projects a little both above 
and below, yellowish white, the next portion bluish grey, 
followed by orange red, and this again by bright red. The 
upper mandible, which corresponds in colour with the lower, 
has three grooves, and the lower one two. It is slightly 
hooked. It would appear that the bill does not attain its 
full size till the third year. In winter it is more dull in 
colour. The sides of the mouth are orange yellow. Iris, 
grey, the eyelids reddish orange. There is a small protuber- 
ance of a grey colour, and of an oblong shape, attached to 
the lower one, and another of a triangular shape to the upper. 
Behind the eye the feathers are divided, forming a narrow 
line or streak which reaches to the back of the head. Fore- 
head, black; head on the sides, white, or greyish white, darkest 
immediately behind the eye, the feathers full. In winter, the 
sides of the head are leaden grey, darkest over the base of 
the lower: mandible. Crown, back of the head, neck, and 
nape, black, the first-named tinged with grey; chin, greyish 
white, or white, darkest on the sides; the throat exhibits a 
band of deep black, tinted with grey, which joins the former 
colour on the nape; breast, white; back, black, darkest on 
the middle part. 
The wings expand to the width of one foot nine inches; 
greater and lesser wing coverts, glossy black; primaries, dusky 
black, but paler than the secondaries, which are also black; 
tertiaries, black. The tail consists of sixteen feathers. It is 
short, and black in colour. Upper tail coverts, black; : legs 
