146 BRITISH SEA BIRDS. 



doubtful whether the bird ever voluntarily seeks the 

 coast after it leaves it in early autumn with its 

 young ; continued gales and storms will occasionally 

 drive a bird even far inland, whilst rough weather 

 often causes it to perish at sea, its remains being 

 sometimes washed up in quantities. Its actions on 

 the water are almost precisely the same as those 

 of the Guillemot and Razorbill. It is an adept 

 swimmer, a marvellous diver ; it flies well and 

 strongly, especially during the summer, where I 

 have seen it in swarms, drifting round and round 

 the highest peaks of its island haunt on apparently 

 never-tiring-wing. At the summit of the cliffs its 

 powers of flight may often be witnessed to per- 

 fection. At St. Kilda, I have watched it gracefully 

 poising itself in the air, its narrow wings beating 

 rapidly, and its two orange-coloured legs spread out 

 behind acting as a rudder. Of all the Auk tribe, 

 so far as my experience goes, the Puffin flies the 

 most. The Puffin feeds principally upon small fish, 

 especially sprats and the fry of larger fishes ; it also 

 eats crustaceans, and various marine insects. It 

 dives often to a great depth, and is remarkably 

 active beneath the surface ; when on the water it 

 generally tries to escape from danger by diving. 

 Sometimes the Puffin may be seen close ashore 

 during winter, but never in any abundance, 



The Puffin becomes by far the most interesting 

 at its breeding places. The regularity of its appear- 

 ance at these has often been remarked. In many 



