264 OUR RARER BIRDS 



swimming in all directions, and constantly flying to and from 

 the land. It is by no means a shy bird, and often allows a 

 boat to approach it within a few yards ; but you may fre- 

 quently see it dive with marvellous rapidity when alarmed, 

 and rise again to the surface far out of danger. It swims 

 buoyant as a cork on the heaving sea, and dives for long 

 distances, absolutely flying under water with almost as much 

 ease as through the air. It always prefers to escape from 

 danger by diving or swimming hurriedly away; but when 

 flushed you will find that it rises lightly from the water, and 

 on rapidly beating wings flies quickly off. The whirr of its 

 wings as it rises from the sea or starts from the cliffs is 

 singularly loud. Not only are the Puffins gregarious, but they 

 are very sociable too, and often mingle with Guillemots, 

 Eazorbills, and other birds. Upon the ground it is by no 

 means awkward, in spite of its legs being placed so far back- 

 wards ; and you may often see it run bolt upright, flapping 

 its little wings with great rapidity to balance itself. 



The principal food of the Puffin is small fish, especially 

 sprats and the fry of the larger species, notably of the 

 pollock and the herring, for which it dives to a great depth. 

 In addition to fish the bird also eats small crabs, shrimps, and 

 other crustaceans, but I do not think it ever touches vegetable 

 substances of any kind. Puffins often fly enormous distances 

 to feed. Wherever the shoals of fish may chance to be, the 

 birds will visit them ; and they may often be seen in little 

 flocks flying swiftly over the sea to and from the distant 

 feeding-places. I have often seen the Puffin five and twenty 

 miles from land fishing in the open ocean ; and the birds 

 that breed in St. Kilda frequently fly to the distant Minch to 

 feed, making a journey there and back of close upon a 

 hundred miles ! 



Vast numbers of Puffins breed close together, and their 

 nesting season begins in May. A variety of places are 



