BRITISH BIRDS. 399 



the nostrils are placed in long narrow slips, near 

 the edge of the bill: the corners of the mouth, 

 when closed, are curiously puckered, and form a 

 kind of small star, or rose: the eyes are protected 

 by small callous protuberances, both above and 

 below : the edges of the eyelids are crimson : irides 

 grey: the chin and cheeks are white, bordered with 

 grey, the latter much puffed up with feathers, 

 which make the head look large and round. From 

 behind the corner of each eye, the feathers are 

 curiously separated, forming a narrow line, which 

 reaches to the hinder part of the head : the crown 

 of the head, hinder part of the neck, and upper 

 part of the plumage are black, and a collar of the 

 same colour encircles the neck: the under parts 

 are white : the tail consists of sixteen feathers : the 

 legs are reddish orange. 



The Puffin, like others of the same genus, though 

 it takes wing with great difficulty, can fly with 

 rapidity. It walks upon the whole length of the 

 leg and foot, with a wriggling awkward gait. 

 Various kind of fish, such as small crabs, shrimps, 

 sprats, and also sea-weeds, are said to be the food 

 upon which they live; but it is evident from the 

 structure, great strength, and sharpness of the bill, 

 that they are furnished with powers to crush and 

 pluck out other kinds of shell-fish, which ornitho- 

 logists have not noticed. 



The female makes no nest; she deposits her 

 single whitish-coloured egg upon the bare mould, 

 in a hole dug out and formed in the ground, by her 

 mate and herself, for that purpose; or in those 

 that they find ready made by the rabbits, which 

 they easily dislodge. The parent birds are very 



