BIRD ROCK 



179 



about, and its hoarse voice — lialf grmit, half groan 

 — added t(.) its unattractiveuess. 



In Nature, liowever, their trim ajipearanee was 

 very phrasing; Parwiiicls, the Freiieli-Canadians call 

 them, and one has only to see the bird in life to ap- 

 preciate the applicability of the name. It is not 

 alone their looks but also their actions which suggest 

 the Parrot. Uidike the Murres and Razorbills, tliey 

 do not rest (ui the whole 

 on the toes alnne, and 

 run about with the 



foot, but stand quite erect 



characteristic pattering 

 steps of Parrots. When 

 the wind blew fresh 

 from the sea they often 

 faced it, hovering a 

 foot or two above the 

 rocks on outstretched, 

 motionless wings, and 

 retaining for several 

 seconds this perfect bal- 

 ance between gravity 

 and air pressure. 



It is quite possible 

 that I may have wholly 

 misjudged the Puffin's 

 character, and that 

 when unmolested their 

 nature is peaceable in 

 extreme. At any rate, 



they seem to be not only on excellent terms with 

 their own kind, but with the very distantly re- 

 lated Leach's Petrels, with which they sometimes 



4-. .-;• 



tl4. Young PiiHin mi nest at tlic end 

 of burrow. 



