6 



The Puffin. 



One of the oddest birds of the sea is the Puffin (Fraier- 

 cula arctica), or Noddy; Sea Parrot, as it is called by the 

 Nova Seotians. About 13.50 in length, short legged, web 

 footed, and with a curiously formed bill, flatly compress- 

 ed, it is blackish above and white underneath, the black 

 above extending around the short neck like a collar, and 

 the white on the cheeks continuing in a narrow line around 

 the back of the head, and beeoming dusky at the base of 

 the lower mandible. The tip of the bill is red, streaked 

 with yellow and dusky, and the base is blue, margined 

 with red. The callous at the corner of the mouth is yel- 

 low; the eyelids tire pink, with blue appendages; the feet 

 iiv<L. It bred formerly in abundance on some of the .Mud 

 Manas, one of which — Noddy Island — is named ibr it, 

 and a few build there still, as also on the Machias Ledge 

 hear Grand Aienan; but mostly they have been driven north 

 ward,' where they breed in great numbers. The nest is a, 

 hole in the bank, like that of the Kingfisher, only not so 

 deep, and contains one cii^, about 2.50 x 1.75. somewhat 

 pointed, white or whitish, obscurely spotted. In some 

 glares the bird lays in deep holes and crevices of it.ep, 

 rocky ledges. It belongs to the same family with the 

 Auks, and is found also in the Old World. Its food is 



small crustaceans principally. Our Birds intheii* 



Haunts. 



