434 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



island is a lofty upright stone. There are similar stones on the 

 mainland, which are said to mark victories gained by Harold 

 over the Danes. The village of Haroldston takes its name from 

 such a memorial. 



A visitor to the island in the summer-time is struck with 

 astonishment at the vast multitudes of Puffins which resort to it 

 for nesting. They are everywhere, and are so tame that they 

 hardly trouble to move out of one's way. In walking, you are 

 sure sooner or later to find your foot slipping through into some 

 Puffin's burrow, astonishing the bird sitting placidly on its egg. 

 The whole demeanour of the Puffins may be said to be placid. 

 It is not easy either to hm'ry them or to frighten them. Every 

 now and then they may be seen scuttling out of their holes and 

 making ofi' in a ridiculous manner, rolling and tumbling head 

 over heels before at last they can rise on wing. Unless they 

 face the wind, or are on an eminence. Puffins are unable to fly, 

 and when these conditions are not present to them they may be 

 easily caught. All along the edge of the cliffs they were to be 

 seen thickly congregated ; their white breasts turned towards us 

 had the appearance of monster snow-flakes. The only notice 

 taken by the birds of our approach was to fall in in closer order, 

 the outside ones advancing together with an absurd kind of 

 military precision until the host was drawn up on the brink of 

 the cliff four or five deep. And even then, unless one went 

 close up to them, they remained stolidly motionless, regarding 

 the stranger with no apprehension and with much indifference 

 out of their queer little eyes. Throw a stone at them, and the 

 bird near which it passes will only duck its head. As we were 

 watching a great body of Puffins, wheeling backwards and 

 forwards over the water, we suddenly noticed one with pure 

 white wings, which was a very conspicuous object among its 

 companions. After a while this bird flew several times close by 

 where we were seated, and might easily have been drojpped had 

 a gun been at hand. The Puffins arrive on Skomer with great 

 punctuality on the 1st of April, and leave the island early in 

 August. The Manx Shearwaters are a little earlier in coming 

 and later in their departure. 



In the bird way Skomer possesses two phenomena, one being 

 the great multitude of its Puffins, the other the equally vast hosts 

 of the Manx Shearwaters. During the daytime none of the 



