AMONG THE WATER-FOWL 
likely to have for its next neighbour one of the 
other species as an individual of its own kind. 
Occasionally all on a ledge would prove to be of 
one species only, and often, when mixed, one kind 
would greatly outnumber the other. But the only 
way to get identified eggs was to watch a ledge, 
note the order of the species as they sat upon the 
eges, and then mark the eggs as they were taken. 
In addition to the above, there are a few individuals 
of the type once named the “ Ringed Murre,” dis- 
tinguished by a white line running back from 
behind the eye. Naturalists are in doubt as to 
whether or not this is a valid species, and, if not, 
how to account for this aberration. 
We also investigated the nesting of the Puffins. 
Securing a pick-axe, by hard toil we managed to 
dig out several burrows. Each was from one to 
two yards in length, ending in a larger chamber, 
where the one dirty-white egg was laid ina slight bed 
of grass and feathers. The soil is largely the debris 
ot ied sandstone, which, we found, gives to some 
of the eggs a eadich stain rather aed to remove 
In one instance we caught a Puffin on the nest. 
Despite its struggles and biting, the Keeper’s son 
despatched it, and the work of taxidermy fell to my 
lot, which occupied the remaining time before 
dinner. 
About this time, as I had hoped, the clouds 
rolled away, and we were favoured with an after- 
noon of sunshine. Of course the camera came 
again into vogue. After taking some more general 
views, I began the attempt to photograph birds on 
the rocks at close range. ‘The south-east end Puffin 
66 
