A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 309 



affectionate to their young, that if they are 

 laid hold of by the wings they will give 

 themfelves the moft cruel bites on any part 

 of their body that they can reach, as if 

 actuated by defpair ; and when releafed, 

 inftead of flying away, they will often 

 hurry again into their burrows. The noife 

 they make when caught is horrible, and 

 not unlike the efforts of a dumb man to 

 fpeak. The time of their remigration is 

 about the eleventh of Auguft. Their food 

 is fprats or fea weeds, which makes them 

 exceffively rank, but the young, when pic- 

 kled and preferved by fpices, are by fome 

 people much admired. They do not 

 breed till their third year, and they are faid 

 to change their bills annually. The chan- 

 nel betwixt Prieflholme and Anglefea is 

 celebrated for producing feveral very un- 

 common fpecies of fifli.* 



There 



* This account of the Puffin I have extra&ed 



from Mr. Pennant: his knowledge of Britifh zoo- 



X 3 logy 



