272 THE PENGUIN KIND. 



refinement has not depraved. A mutual good fellow- 

 ship seems to prevail amongst them, as they always 

 come on shore in a numerous tribe. 



The penguin lays but one egg, and in uninhabited 

 places; it makes merely a depression in the earth, ex- 

 cept when there is a chance of their being annoyed or 

 incommoded, it will then sometimes burrow two or 

 three yards deep, when three or four females take pos- 

 session of a hole, and one stands sentinel to guard the 

 rest. 



The great northern diver is beautifully variegated, 

 and though in size it resembles the penguin, yet the fi- 

 gure is more elegantly formed. The grey speckled 

 diver is about as large as a Muscovy duck, and resem- 

 bles the former, except in size. The ank, which breeds 

 on" the island of St. Kilda, is smaller than the duck, 

 and from the belly to the middle of the throat, the fea- 

 thers are all delicately white. The guillemot is about 

 the same size ; and the only difference to be observed 

 is in the bill, which is longer, and more perfectly 

 straight. The scarlet-throated diver may be distin- 

 guished by its name; and the puffin or coulterneb is 

 one of the most remarkable birds we know. 



It is difficult to describe the form of the bill of the 

 puffin, which varies very much from that of any other 

 bird. Those who have seen the coulter of a plough may 

 form some idea of the beak of this odd-looking animal : 

 the bill is flat, with a triangular figure, sharp at the 

 point, but the edges turning upwards ; ash-coloured to- 

 wards the base, and red near the point ; and the eyes 

 are fenced with a protuberant skin of a livid colour. 



The puffin, like all the rest of this kind, has its legs 

 thrown so far back that it can hardly move without tum- 

 bling, which makes it rise with great difficulty : but, as it 

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