PUFFIN-BUKROWS. 33 



butable. The whole island is indeed stocked with 

 rabbits, and their warrens (or " buries," * as the local 

 phrase is) are very numerous. The puffin does not 

 hesitate to appropriate these whenever he can ; but as 

 there are many more birds than beasts, the former are 

 generally compelled to excavate for themselves : this 

 is effected by means of the powerful cutting beak, to 

 the depth of two or three feet. At the bottom of the 

 hole the egg is laid, never more than one. We saw 

 several egg-shells, from which the young had been 

 hatched ; they were nearly as large as hen's eggs, of a 

 dirty whitecl-brown tint, which is said to be derived 

 from the soil, as they are purely white when first laid. 

 We had no means of digging them out, and we did 

 not choose to explore the burrows by thrusting in our 

 arms ; for the puffin, if at home, would have given our 

 intrusive fingers such a welcome with his strong and 

 sharp beak, as we might not soon have forgotten. 



Mr Heaven informed us of a curious habit in the 

 economy of these birds. Immense numbers come to 

 the breeding-place in April, to reconnoitre the ground : 

 they remain three or four days, then disappear so 

 completely that not a single bird is to be seen. In 

 about a fortnight they return for good, and set about 

 the work of family-rearing. Then mortal combats 

 may be witnessed ; the rabbit and the puffin fight for 

 possession ; the old buck stands up in front of his hole, 



* Doubtless for "burrows;" but the word is pronounced as we 

 ordinarily pronounce the verb "to bury" (the dead). Probably we 

 have but two forms of the same word in "bury" and "burrow." 



C 



