498 . COMMON PUFFIN. 



When living, these Auks are particularly trim and elegantly formed birds, for they sit 

 upright, resting upon the tarsi, and keep themselves very clean with the feathers perfectly 

 smooth and glossy. The Razor-bills are inclined to be quarrelsome birds, especially with 

 other species, and they would seldom allow a Puffin or Murre to alight very near them, 

 opening their bills at the intruder, and disclosing the bright orange mouth. The eyes of 

 the Razor-bills, when examined carefully, are peculiar, as the edge of the iris, next the 

 pupil, is scalloped, not perfectly circular as ordinarily. The Razor-billed Auks not only 

 dive but swim well, and ride lightly on the water. The eggs are deposited during the last 

 week in July, and the birds migrate southward late in October. 



GENUS II. MORMON. THE PUFFINS. 



Bill, shorter than head, much compressed, and hiyher than long. The bill is crossed by several ridges. There is but a 

 single speuies within our limits. 



MORMON ARCTICA. 



Common Puffin. 

 Mormon Arctica ILL., Prod. ; 1811. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. Cn. Form, robust. Size, small. COLOR. Adult. Broad collar around neck, upper parts, and sides, bruwnisli- 

 black, lightest on latter and crown. Sides of head and chin, ashy. White beneath. Iris, brown; bill, bluish, with ridg- 

 es orange, and feet, coral-red. Youny. similar, but the bill is small, without prominent ridges, and is du.sky. Ashy of sidi-s 

 of head, obscured with dusky. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Known by the compressed, triangular bill and small size. Distributed in summer from the Golf of St. Lawrence, north- 

 ward; wintering from Grand Menan, southward. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens. Length, 13-35; stretch, 23'50; wing, 6'35; tail, T95; bill, 1 85; tarsus, 1'05. 

 Longest specimen, 13-75; greatest extent of wing, 2VOO; longest wing, 6'50; tail, 2-03; bill, 2'00; tarsus, I'M. Shortest 

 specimen, 13-00; smallest extent of wing, 23'00; shortest wing, 6'25; tail, 1'90; bill, 1'75; tarsus, I'OO. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Eyys, placed in burrows, one in number, oval in form, white in color, occasionally mottled with greenish. Dimen- 

 sions from 1-60x2-30 to l'70x 2-80. 



HABITS. 



I found these odd, little Puffins nesting on the face of the high cliffs on Bryon Is- 

 land, but on Bird Rock, they dug their burrows on the surface, often excavating beneath 

 aflat slab of limestone, with which a portion of the rock was strewed. The burrows were 

 about six inches in diameter, usually turned either to the right or left, and were from two 

 to six feet long; but the terminus which was slightly enlarged, was never very far from the 

 surface. The single egg was placed in this chamber and was always covered by either 

 the male or female Puffin, which bravely resisted my efforts to remove the egg, biting 

 fiercely; and as these birds are endowed with the same tenacity of purpose which charac- 

 terizes a snapping turtle, I would frequently withdraw my hand with a Puffin attached to 

 one finger. When brought to the surface, however, and allowed to escape, they would 

 mount into air, and darting downward, would fly out to sea; but if held in the hand, would 

 struggle constantly, uttering a croaking sound. 



The Puffins are quite unsuspicious, and during foggy mornings, when all the species 

 which inhabit the Rock, are much tamer than at other times, they would permit me to ap- 

 proach very near them. Indeed I have often seated myself upon a rock on the breeding 

 ground, when several of the little red-beaked fellows would alight within three or four feet 

 of me, and I could thus observe their habits very closely. They fly with exceeding swil't- 

 ' ness, but when about to settle, the speed is checked, the feet which in air are held hori- 



