On Sea and Shore. 227 



not be regarded as common about the Fame Islands 

 until April, but from then until the end of the follow- 

 ing August they are one of the most abundant species 

 at them, although, owing to their subterranean habits, 

 the fact is not very palpable to ordinary observation. 

 These birds excavate a long burrow in the soft soil, 

 often extending many yards underground, and at the 

 end, upon a handful of dry grass perhaps mixed with 

 a few feathers, the hen bird lays a solitary egg, dull- 

 white in colour, very sparingly marked with pale- 

 brown and gray. When the colony is approached 

 such birds as may chance to be above ground soon 

 betake themselves to the sea; those in the burrows 

 remain to be dug out before they will usually budge 

 from their egg, resenting this by bites and scratches 

 dealt in the most savage manner. There is some- 

 thing immensely ludicrous about the look of a Puffin 

 as you drag the struggling bird into the daylight; 

 but we would warn those who might essay the 

 experiment to encase their hands in strong gloves, 

 or they may repent the business. Had space per- 

 mitted, we should have liked to say something about 

 the curious transformation the beak of this bird 

 undergoes as the pairing season approaches, but we 

 must wait for a future opportunity. Most, in fact 

 all, of these species breed in many other parts of the 

 coasts of the northern shires, but we have elected to 

 describe them here, for the Fame Islands are pro- 



