THE SKELLIGS AND SEA-FOWL. 257 



swarms of Razor-bills and Guillemots. Here is 

 " Katty's Point," so called as a woman of that name 

 was wont to climb down and fill her basket with 

 eggs, which she would safely bring up, a place no 

 man would trust himself along, save with a rope 

 and assistance from above. Whiz ! there dart the 

 Puffins ; something has startled them ; what a rush 

 they come down with ! See ! the Peregrine Falcon 

 it is a race for life ! They scatter as they near 

 the water. The bird of prey has singled one out, 

 and as it almost touches the surface of the sea, its 

 hoped-for haven of safety, it is seized and borne 

 aloft, as though but a sparrow in size, and carried 

 in the destroyer's talons to some inaccessible crag, 

 where its bones will be picked at leisure. 



The Falcon is the Puffin's dread and constant 

 terror. When he comes sailing into sight round a 

 cliff the consternation is great. At all times are 

 the Puffins on the watch, looking now on this side, 

 now on that, with quaintly upturned eye and bill. 

 When alighting at the entrance to their holes or on 

 the rock, they will spy in all directions, peering up on 

 every side to see if their dreaded enemy is in sight. 

 Should a Falcon come swooping by, those that are 

 near their holes dart in with undignified haste, 

 sometimes tumbling in their anxiety. The birds 

 that are not so convenient to shelter take wing, 

 forming a body for mutual protection, and dashing 

 with lightning speed to the sea, dive at once from 

 danger on reaching it, excepting the poor un- 

 fortunate who goes up instead of down, a helpless 

 captive. 



At the end of this zigzag path we obtain a bird's- 



s 



