PUFFIN. 167 



their work, as to allow themselves to V N aken by the hand; 

 and the same may also be done when the bird is sitting on 

 its egg. The young are hatched after a month's incubation. 

 In about a like period of time, or a week or two more, they 

 come to their full feathers, and are able to quit their native 

 burrows, and enter on their ocean of life. Meyer says that 

 where both birds have been killed, others have been known 

 to take charge of the egg or young. 



Only one egg is laid, and its colour is white, sometimes 

 spotted with pale grey. . 



These birds begin to assemble in April, and the building- 

 time is at the end of May or beginning of June. 



Male; weight, between twelve and thirteen ounces; length, 

 one foot to one foot one inch. The bill, which derives its 

 name from a fancied resemblance between its curious shape 

 and the coulter of a ploughshare, is of several colours, the 

 bare part about the mouth, which projects a little both above 

 and below, yellowish white, the next portion bluish grey, 

 followed by orange red, and this again by bright red. The 

 upper mandible, which corresponds in colour with the lower, 

 has three grooves, and the lower one two. It is slightly 

 hooked. It would appear that the bill does not attain its 

 full size till the third year. In winter it is more dull in 

 colour. The sides of the mouth are orange yellow. Iris, 

 grey, the eyelids reddish orange. There is a small protuber- 

 ance of a grey colour, and of an oblong shape, attached to 

 the lower one, and another of a triangular shape to the upper. 

 Behind the eye the feathers are divided, forming a narrow 

 line or streak which reaches to the back of the head. Fore- 

 head, black; head on the sides, white, or greyish white, darkest 

 immediately behind the eye, the feathers full. In winter, the 

 sides of the head are leaden grey, darkest over the base of 

 the lower mandible. Crown, back of the head, neck, and 

 nape, black, the first-named tinged with grey; chin, greyish 

 white, or white, darkest on the sides; the throat exhibits a 

 band of deep black, tinted with grey, which joins the former 

 colour on the nape; breast, white; back, black, darkest on 

 the middle part. 



The wings expand to the width of one foot nine inches; 

 greater and lesser wing coverts, glossy black; primaries, dusky 

 black, but paler than the secondaries, which are also black; 

 tertiaries, black. The tail consists of sixteen feathers. It is 

 short, and black in colour. Upper tail coverts, black; legs 



