MOTHER CAREY'S CHICKENS 205 



disturbance and loss of life, though we moved 

 without so much as breaking an egg. 



Just below the rocky backbone of the top lay 

 the green sloping deck or roof in which burrowed 

 the puffins and the petrels. While digging out 

 a snapping, fighting old puffin, who left the lasting 

 mark of her powerful bill on the game warden's 

 hand, I came upon a small side hall or gallery 

 running at right angles to the gallery of the puf- 

 fin's and starting just within her front door. At the 

 bottom of this I found my first petrel and drew 

 her out with her one round white egg, which was 

 about the size of a turtle-dove's. 



She lays only one egg, and rears only one 

 young at a time. So it is with the puffin, and the 

 murre ; but just why, with food so abundant, I 

 cannot tell. She tried to escape, but finding that 

 impossible, she ejected from her beak, or nostrils 

 rather, a very strong offensive oil, the most rancid 

 oil I ever smelled. If her burrow were filled with 

 this reeking, choking odor, I could imagine her 

 perfectly safe from almost any attack. 



I stroked her gently until she grew quiet. Then 

 I stretched out her wonderful wings, placed her 

 small webbed feet upon my hand, felt her beat- 



