98 HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 



birds for the men, not forgetting some shags for old Junky, 

 we returned through the fog to the schooner. 



It may be mentioned here that very few sea-birds were 

 shot during our cruise. Their extreme tameness was a 

 great protection to them, for it gave every facility for 

 inspection, as there were none but well-known species, 

 and we had no means of preserving their skins, there 

 was no object in wantonly slaughtering them. I always 

 had my gun ready, and made several attempts at forming 

 'a collection, but the skins were invariably blown or swept 

 overboard during gales or heavy seas, and I gave up the 

 design in disgust. 



The next few days were calm, with dense fog and fine 

 rain, similar in all respects to the weather we had lately 

 experienced. Time hung heavily on our hands, for no 

 hunting was possible ; the only distraction from the 

 monotony of life was furnished by the taking of a few cod 

 an agreeable change to our diet, cod chowder being a thing 

 of joy. Our principal amusement consisted of visits to 

 Gull Island for the purpose of getting eggs, omelettes being 

 no despicable addition to our bill of fare. 



The habits of the numerous sea-birds, too, was a never 

 ending source of pleasure and instruction ; I succeeded in 

 shooting a variety of puffin quite new to me. It was black 

 all over with the exception of the cheeks, which were 

 white, legs and feet bright scarlet, the latter each armed 

 with three sharp claws. Being only winged, it bit viciously ; 

 drawing blood several times before it was safely in the boat. 

 The skin, after being carefully removed, was hung on the 

 forestay, but met the usual fate of my ornithological rareties 

 during the next gale. Two small rocky, but flat, islands 

 stretch out to sea in a line, separated from Gull Island and 

 each other by deep channels about two hundred yards wide. 

 The inner and larger one would not exceed a couple of 

 acres in extent ; both are continually swept by the sea and 

 are bare of everything but weed, though they afforded a 

 resting place for a large colony of sea lions, who made 



