THE SKELLIGS AND SEA-FOWL. 265 



THE RAZOR-BILL (Alca fordo) does not breed in 

 colonies, but scattered here and there among the 

 cliffs where they can best find a suitable spot. 

 They may often be seen close to the Kittiwakes, 

 and even mixed with them. Like the Guillemots, 

 they carry their young on their backs from the cliffs 

 to the sea. 



THE PUFFIN (Fratercula arctica), the most inter- 

 esting of all the sea-fowl, breeds on the Skelligs and 

 other similar islands in vast numbers. They arrive 

 at their breeding haunts on or about the 3rd of 

 April and leave the middle of August. On arriving 

 they take a survey of the cliffs, then separate to 

 retake their old habitations, generally holes in the 

 soil, but often crevices under rocks and stones, snug 

 corners they may possibly have held the tenancy of 

 for years. In their absence, should a hole be taken 

 possession of by a rabbit and her family, woe betide 

 them if they have not cleared out in time for the 

 Puffin. 



The latter walks boldly in, conscious of his right, 

 perhaps to find, to his annoyance, four or five young 

 rabbits as intruders. Nothing daunted, he seizes 

 one of the tiny animals by the ear or throat, and 

 coming out backwards he drags bunny to the mouth 

 of the burrow, then giving him a twisting jerk, rolls 

 him down the incline. The Puffin, however, does 

 not rest a moment, but pops in again and shortly 

 appears with a second, which is served the same 

 way, then another, and even a fourth and fifth ; 

 lastly comes a fierce and final struggle for owner- 

 ship with the old rabbit. This is, sometimes, a long 

 and angry dispute, but at length the animal is 



