182 CHAPTERS ON THE NATURAL HISTORY 



and as deep as it is long. It is, during; certain seasons of the 

 year, incased with bright colored, horny, deciduous elements, 

 that are regularly moulted. The history of this peculiar moult is 

 extremely interesting and varies in the different species. The 

 sexes are alike, and their plumage does not exhibit much season- 

 al change. They lay their single egg in the crevices of the 

 rocks or in burrows in the ground. Lunda lacks the horny ap- 

 pendages about the eye, but has pendant tufts of silky, straw- 

 colored feathers at the sides of the head. 



The Common puffin has the " throat and sides of the head 

 white, that color extending over the eye and passing in a narrow 

 line behind the occiput. Upper part of the head blackish gray, 

 tinged with olive, paler anteriorly. The middle of the neck all 

 round, and all the upper parts of the body, deep black, with blue 

 reflections, the quills tinged with brown. The whole under sur- 

 face white, except the upper parts of the sides, which are dusky." 

 It has a length of about 13^ inches. Audubon, from whom I 

 quote this description, gives us quite a long and very interesting 

 account of this species. But the natural history of these extraor- 

 dinary birds would make a very extended chapter, and occupy 

 far more space than can be devoted to the subject here, as much 

 as the writer would like to enlarge upon it. 



