Puffin. I obtained two of their eggs on the 6th of June, 

 but the generality of them were not laid before the 15th 

 or 16th of the same month, when I had the satisfaction of 

 examining about seventy specimens, then nearly all fresh 

 laid ; amongst so many I was surprised to find so little varia- 

 tion ; of Figures 2 and 3 of the Plate, the former of which 

 is a very singular variety, I only met with two each ; the 

 rest bear the general appearance of Fig. 1 ; about one-half 

 of them differing from it only, in the ground-colour being 

 white instead of blue, the spots most commonly smaller, and 

 more regularly disposed ; a few are more sparingly, and others 

 more closely and minutely marked ; they resemble the eggs 

 of the Razor-bill much more than those of the Common 

 Guillemot, both as to shape and character, so much so, that 

 any one forming a classification of birds by their eggs, which 

 might generally be done with great and admirable accuracy, 

 would, in this instance, be led into error. The Tyste (by 

 which name it is known throughout Shetland) sits very close, 

 and is easily caught upon its eggs ; it frequents, and seems 

 very partial to, those still, deep inlets of the sea there so nu- 

 merous, in which the water is so beautifully clear, that I have 

 observed them, though two or three hundred feet above them, 

 using their wings in diving, and, as it were flying under 

 water, as distinctly as though I had seen them skimming 

 over its surface. 



