ATLANTIC PUFFIN 91 



Nesting. The puffin is a social bird and nests in colonies. One of 

 the largest breeding colonies remaining at the present time is on 

 Parroquet Island off the southern coast of Labrador near Bradore. 

 Here the birds burrow into the friable soil and utilize crannies among 

 the rocks for their nests. Of a similar, but smaller, colony at Bald 

 Island off the middle of the southern coast of Labrador, I have made 

 a more intimate study. Here in June, 1909, we found about ISO 

 pairs breeding. The island is formed of limestone with a flat surface 

 of several acres of loose, dark soil on which stood and lay a forest 

 of dead stalks of the cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum). The new 

 leaves were just beginning to push up from the ground at the time 

 of our visit on the 8th and 9th of June. In this loose soil, but chiefly 

 under the large fragments of rocks that were partly embedded in the 

 surface, were the nesting burrows of the puffins. Most of these 

 nests in the burrows under the large rocks were just beyond the 

 reach of the arm, extended to full length in the hole, but a few were 

 accessible, as their length was little more than 2 feet. The holes 

 in the loose soil were generally about 30 inches long, often curved 

 and descending at a slight angle to a few inches or a foot below the 

 surface. Frazar (1887) says of the burrows at Wolf Island, south- 

 ern Labrador, that: 



They are seldom over 4 feet deep and generally take an abrupt curve near 

 the opening and run along usually near the surface of the ground. Several 

 that I opened curved in such a way that the nest, which is an enlarged cavity 

 at the end of the burrow, with a little straw laid on the bottom, was exactly 

 under the entrance and only a thin crust of soil between the two. 



Sometimes several burrows communicate and a single one may have 

 two openings. In walking over a field filled with the burrows of this 

 bird, one is in constant danger of breaking through into the numerous 

 tunnels. At the end of the burrow is the nest, a loose mass of dead 

 grass, sometimes with a few feathers, in which rests the single egg. 

 In exploring the holes with outstretched arm, we found that gloves 

 were very necessary, as the enraged parent bird was capable of in- 

 flicting considerable damage to the unprotected fingers with her keen- 

 edged and powerful bill, and, when seized, she could scratch vigor- 

 ' ously with her sharp nails. The work of digging the holes falls 

 chiefly on the male, and he is at times so intent upon this work as to 

 suffer himself to be taken by the hand. The inner toenail on each 

 foot is well adapted for the digging process, as it is strong, curved, 

 and sharp, and the other toenails are but little inferior. 



Eggs. Only one egg is laid, as a rule. Frazer (1887) found, in a 

 colony of a thousand pairs at Cape Whittle, 12 burrows, each con- 

 taining two eggs. The egg is rounded ovate in shape, and generally 

 a dull white when first laid, but it soon becomes soiled. A few eggs 

 are spotted with concealed chocolate markings, while some have dis- 



