AUKS. 305 



are short ; the toes webbed, armed with curved 

 claws, the hind toe wanting. 



The Puffins are inhabitants of the northern 

 regions, but are migratory visitors to the more tem- 

 perate regions, keeping near the shore, concealing 

 themselves by night in the clefts of rocks, or in 

 burrows, which they themselves excavate to the 

 depth of a yard or more. In these burrows the 

 female lays a single egg on the bare ground. 

 Their flight is heavy and rather quick, but only 

 sustained for short distances, commonly just above 

 the surface of the water, which they sometimes 

 strike with their feet to acquire an additional 

 impetus. In the water their speed is great, and 

 they dive with great facility. They principally 

 feed on marine mollusca and Crustacea, to which 

 small fishes are added. 



The Common Puffin or Coulterneb (Fratercula 

 arctica, LINN.) visits the rocky shores of the Bri- 

 tish Islands in summer, for the purpose of breed- 

 ing; remaining from April to August. It is a 

 bird of singularly grotesque appearance : its short 

 thickset form, its erect attitude, and above all, its 

 extraordinary beak, grooved over with furrows, and 

 marked with bright colours, give it a very peculiar 

 aspect. It is not much larger than a pigeon, but 

 of stouter form, and with a greater head : the 

 crown, hind head, whole upper parts, and a collar 

 round the neck are black ; the sides of the head 

 and face pale grey, the whole under parts pure 

 white: the central portion of the beak is pale 

 blue, the base with the mouth yellow, the grooves 

 and tip orange ; the latter is the hue also of the 

 eyelids, and of the legs and feet. 



The shallow surface-earth on the summit of the 



