36 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



Around the base of the rock at the water's edge is a belt of loose 

 rocks which, during ages past, have fallen from above. Higher up 

 there are patches of soil on which the keeper raises grass enough 

 to feed two or three goats. Divers, gulls, auks, petrels, loons, 

 etc., are found there in great abundance, but the most numerous are 

 the Puffins, which, in local parlance, are called the " Paties " or 

 " Coulternebs," from the fancied resemblance the bill of the bird 

 bears to the cutting part of a plough. The birds are to some extent 

 migratory, going south during winter," but in February they feturn 

 in crowds and at once select their breeding places, no nest being 

 required. Each pair chooses an opening among the loose rocks at 

 the base of the clifiF, within which is duly deposited their one white 

 egg. Others dig holes for themselves, like rabbit holes, in the ground 

 higher up, in which to lodge their treasure, and these they vigorously 

 defend against all intruders. Pleasure parties often visit the Craig 

 during the summer, some of whom make a point of taking back 

 specimens from the island, but woe betide the hand that is thought- 

 lessly pushed into one of these holes if " Patie" is at home, for he has 

 a most powerful beak, and once taking a hold he can hardly be made 

 to let go. 



One of the keepers, who made a business of selling the birds, had 

 a dog trained to the work of catching them. He was a rough Scotch 

 terrier, and it was no uncommon sight to see him come out from 

 among the loose rocks with several of the birds hanging on to his 

 hair. He did not need to catch them, as they caught him, and held 

 on till taken off by the keeper. The Craig is of limited extent, but 

 the number of birds which frequented it was almost incredible. 



Many of the birds spent the day in fishing out at sea, but all 

 returned about the same time in the evening, and that was the time 

 to see the multitudes gathered together. Looking at the rock it 

 seemed as if there was scarcely room for another bird, so completely 

 was every available spot covered. It was a custom with the keeper, 

 when making up a lot to send to the market, to take his place on 

 some prominent point in the evening, and with a club knock down as 

 many birds as he needed while they flew past. It is on record that 

 one of the keepers, a strong, active man, used to the work, undertook 

 for a wager to kill eighty dozen paties in one day, and he actually 

 managed to do it, in the manner described. 



The young birds are fed on fish brought by the old ones, often 

 from a great distance. They seldom brought in fewer than five or 

 six at once, and all were killed by a squeeze on the head, but how 



