The Puffin.] OF ORKNEY. 101 



Species 2. The Puffin. 



Puffin, Coulterneb, Wil. Orn. 325. Rait Syn. Av. 120. Alca Artica, Liu. 

 Sys. 211. Anas arctica Clusii, Sib. Scot. 20. tab. 16. fig. 1. Brit. Zool. 

 405. Coulterneb, Mart. West. Is les, 25. ? Avis narina Sea Coulter dicla, 

 Sib. Scot. 22. ? Ore. Tommy-noddy, Tommy. 



FOUND very frequent with congenerous birds in our rocks ; 

 builds its nest under ground ; like the others lays but one egg. 



The dimensions of those found in Hoy-head are the follow- 

 ing : Length twelve inches, breadth twenty-two, weight thir- 

 teen ounces ; the bill is much compressed, with three furrows, 

 the fore-part of it is red, parted with a white line from a grayish 

 root, which runs up the forehead, forming a ridge and a very 

 sharp angle ; the root of the bill is encompassed with a narrow 

 whitish-coloured skin, pierced full of small holes or points ; 

 at the corner of each jaw is a piece of naked yellow skin ; 

 the nostrils are long and narrow, looking downwards ; the 

 eyes are fine, sparkling, and sharp while alive, the irides dusky, 

 and the edges of the eyelids red ; on the eyelids are two odd 

 naked callosities, which together form a triangle, as the upper 

 one is of itself, the like not to be found in any other bird 

 round these isles which has come to my knowledge*. Both 



* I just now have a bird of this species in my possession, which weighs half- 

 a- pound : wants the callosities at the eyelids, and the narrow rim round the bill. 

 This was found drove on shore, Dec. 20. 1775. In other respects it differs not 

 from the above descnption. 



