21* A HISTORY OF 



But were a punishment to be inflicted for immorality in irrational 

 animals, the puffin is justly a sufferer from invasion, as it is often it- 

 self one of the most terrible invaders. Near the Isle of Anglesea, in 

 an islet called Priestlwlm, their flocks may be compared, for multi- 

 tude, to swarms of bees. In another islet, called the Calf of Man, a 

 bird of this kind, but of a different species, is seen in great abundance. 

 In both places, numbers of rabbits are found to breed ; but the puffin, 

 unwilling to be at the trouble of making a hole, when there is one 

 ready made, dispossesses the rabbits, and it is not unlikely destroys 

 their young. It is in these unjustly acquired retreats that the young 

 puffins are found in great numbers, and become a very valuable ac- 

 quisition to the natives of the place. The old ones (I am now speak- 

 ing of the Manks puffin) early in the morning, at break of day, leave 

 their nests and young, and even the island, nor do they return till 

 night-fall. All this time they are diligently employed in fishing for 

 their young ; so that their retreats on land, which in the morning 

 were loud and clamorous, are now still and quiet, with not a wing stir- 

 ring till the approach of dusk, when their screams once more announce 

 their return. Whatever fish, or other food, they have procured in the 

 day, by night begins to suffer a kind of half digestion, and is reduced 

 to an oily matter, which is ejected from the stomach of the old ones 

 into the^mouth of the young. By this they are nourished, and become 

 fat to an amazing degree. When they are arrived to their full growth, 

 they who are intrusted by the lord of the island, draw them from their 

 holes ; and, that they may more readily keep an account of the num- 

 ber they take, cut off one foot as a token. Their .flesh is said to be 

 excessively rank, as they feed upon fish, especially sprats and sea 

 weed ; however, when they are pickled and preserved with spices, 

 they are admired by those who are fond of high eating. We are told, 

 that formerly their flesh was allowed by the church on Lenten days 

 They were, at that time, also taken by ferrets, as we do rabbits. 

 At present, they are either dug out, or drawn out, from their burrows, 

 with a hooked stick. They bite extremely hard, and keep such fast 

 hold of whatever they seize upon, as not to be easily disengaged. 

 Their noise, when taken, is very disagreeable, being like the efforts 

 of a dumb person attempting to speak. 



The constant depredation which these birds annually suffer, does 

 not in the least seem to intimidate them, or drive them away ; on the 

 contrary, as the people say, the nest must be robbed, or the old ones 

 will breed there no longer. All birds of this kind lay but one egg ; 

 yet if that be taken away, they will lay another, and so on to a third ; 

 which seems to imply, that robbing their nests does not much intimi- 

 date them from laying again. Those, however, whose nests have 

 been thus destroyed, are often too late in bringing up their young; 

 who, if they be not fledged and prepared for migration when all the 

 rest depart, are left at land to shift for themselves. In August the 

 whole tribe is seen to take leave of their summer residence ; nor are 

 they observed any more till the return of the ensuing spring It is 

 probable that they sail away to more southern regions, as our mariners 

 frequently see myriads of water-fowl upon their return, and steering 

 usually to the north. Indeed the coldest countries seem to be their 

 most favoured retreats; and the number of water-fowl-is much greater 



