CHAPTER IV 



4UKS, GULLS, AND PLOVERS 



THE AUK TRIBE 



THE GUILLEMOT is found all around Britain, and breeds wherever the sea is fringed by 

 cliffs affording ledges for the reception of the eggs. It breeds in colonies often num- 

 bering many thousands, and lays but one egg, which is large and pear-shaped. Since 

 the guillemot builds no nest, but lays its egg on the bare rock, this peculiar shape is advanta- 

 geous, since it revolves on itself, when disturbed, instead of rolling off the ledge into the sea. At 

 the same time thousands of eggs fall into the sea every year owing to the bird's leaving the egg, 

 whilst incubating, in too great a hurry. At Lundy 

 Island one of the sources of amusement for the gap- 

 ing tourist was that of firing a shot to frighten the 

 birds, with the result that, at each shot, showers of 

 eggs were knocked off the ledges on to the rocks 

 below. The colour of the egg varies infinitely, no two 

 being quite alike. This, it has been suggested, is 

 useful, as the mother is thereby enabled to identify 

 her own egg, even when surrounded by hundreds of 

 others. The young are covered with long down, 

 and when big enough, but still unable to fly, are 

 taken down by the mother to the sea, being carried, 

 some say, on her back : others say the chick is 

 seized by the wing and carried down. 



The RAZOR-BILL is nearly, if not quite, as com- 

 mon on the coasts of Britain as the guillemot, from 

 which it may be readily distinguished by its beak, 

 which is much compressed from side to side hence 

 its name of Razor-bill and deeply grooved. In 

 habits it very closely resembles the guillemot, but in 

 one respect at least it is a more interesting bird, 

 inasmuch as it is related to and closely resembles the now extinct GREAT AUK, the giant 

 of the tribe. The smallest British representative, it should be mentioned, is the LITTLE 

 AUK, a species more nearly allied to the guillemot. It is only a winter visitant to Britain, 

 breeding in huge colonies on the inhospitable shores of Greenland and Iceland. 



So quaint a bird as the PUFFIN most certainly finds a place here. One of its most 

 characteristic features is its enormous bill, which is rendered more conspicuous on account of 

 its bright colour. It is bluish at the base, yellow at the tip, and striped with orange. A very 

 remarkable feature of this bill is the fact that it is larger in summer than winter, portions 

 of the sheath being shed in autumn. 



Enormous numbers of puffins breed in Ireland ; myriads breed on Lundy Island. The 

 Fame Islands, the cliffs of Flamborough, and Scotland are also tenanted by thousands. Puffins 

 breed in holes, which they dig for themselves when occasion requires, but when rabbit-burrows 

 are to be had they prefer these, dispossessing the owners without the slightest compunction. 

 Might, with the puffin, is right, as well as with many other animals. 

 53 417 



By ptrmisiion of thi Han. ffalttr Rothschild^ Tring 



WHITE TERN 



There are t*wo species of white terrt t a/most restricted to the 

 Southern Hemisphere 



