THE PUFFIN. 455 



travels to that island, " they are caught by means of a 

 hook fastened to the end of a stick; and what is singu- 

 lar, when one is dragged out, his companions take hold 

 of him, and endeavour to retain him; by which means 

 they are often caught to the number of three or four at 

 a time." 



" In Norway," says Colonel Brooke, " Puffins breed 

 in great numbers on the rocks ; and the mode of catch- 

 ing them is precisely the same as that adopted in the 

 northern parts of Great Britain, with the exception that, 

 a dog is trained to the sport. The Puffins sitting toge- 

 ther in prodigious numbers in the deep holes and clefts 

 of the highest rocks, one of these little dogs is sent in, 

 which seizes the first by the wing. This, to prevent 

 being carried away, lays hold with its strong beak of the 

 bird next to it, which in like manner seizes its neigh- 

 bour, and the dog continuing to draw them out, an ex- 

 traordinary string of these birds falls into the hands of 

 the fowler. They are in Norway taken for their fea- 

 thers, which are valuable." 



Social as they appear, and attentive to their young, 

 there yet seems to be a curious exception occasionally 

 occurring towards the close of the breeding-season, when, 

 on their departure, the broods of the latter hatches are 

 left a prey for the Peregrine Falcon, who watches at 

 the mouth of the holes, and seizes the poor starving 

 nestlings, when compelled through hunger to quit their 

 inner-chambers, thus escaping the lingering pains of 

 famine by a more violent and immediate death. 



With respect to the Razor-bills and Guillemots, we 

 shall again refer our readers to the same rock-scenery of 

 the South Stack, already noticed in our observations on 

 Gulls, where, as on a stage of Nature's theatre, we have 

 often watched their motions from the verge of a project- 

 ing little promontory, or arm of rock, immediately 

 facing a precipice beyond the reach of human intrusion^ 

 intersected by innumerable fissures, crevices, ledges, and 

 shelves, admirably adapted for tenants requiring such 



