FRATERCULA ARCTICA 387 



Like the preceding species, the Puffin visits the northern shores 

 of Tunisia in winter, but is somewhat irregular in its occurrence, and 

 is more abundant in some years than in others. Occasionally the 

 species is fairly numerous on the Lakes of Bizerta and Porto Farina, 

 and it probably ranges further south along the east coast of the 

 Eegency, though perhaps not as far as the Tripoli frontier. 



According to Loche, the species occurs on the Algerian coast in 

 winter, and Favier states that it is to be found near Tangier from 

 November to March, and sometimes even lingers as late as April 

 and May. 



The Puffin inhabits Northern Europe and the east coast of North 

 America, breeding abundantly north, as well as south, of the Arctic 

 circle. In Europe it breeds as far south as the west coast of Fi-ance 

 and Portugal, migrating in winter to the Western Mediterranean, 

 and as far south as the Canaries. Its range does not appear to extend 

 to the Eastern Mediterranean, but the bird is not uncommon in some 

 winters on the coasts of Sicily. 



This grotesque bird, the " Sea-Parrot," as it is called vernacularly 

 in various languages, is a true ocean species, living chiefly out at sea, 

 except during the breeding-season, when it resorts, in immense 

 numbers, to its favourite nesting localities. These are situated among 

 steep and rugged cliffs, or on their turf-covered summits, and the 

 actual sites of the nests are in clefts in the rocks, or in burrows 

 excavated by the birds themselves in the ground. The species is one 

 of the most gregarious of birds, its breeding-colonies in some places 

 numbering many thousands of individuals, and the ground occupied 

 by them being so honeycombed with burrows as to form veritable 

 bird-hives. On some of the British coasts large numbers of Puffins 

 are annually killed during the breeding-season, and on the island of 

 St. Kilda the flesh of this bird forms the chief article of food con- 

 sumed by the inhabitants during the summer months. Being 

 remarkably tame and confiding, the bird is easily captured. 



Its flight is fairly rapid, and the species both swims and dives with 

 the greatest ease. On land it appears awkward, and when nesting 

 maintains an upright position seated on the whole length of its tarsus 

 and toes. 



Its food consists of small fish and the fry of the herring and 

 similar species, as well as of crustaceans and marine insects. 



