Ails a Craig and its Birds. 117 



nessed last summer could not well be described witliout employ- 

 ing these terms. It was about nightfall, in the month of July 

 — a favourable time, most of the young puffins being fledged 

 and congregated before taking leave. All the birds were in 

 from their fishing expeditions, and the entire population there- 

 fore was nearly in sight at one view. As soon as the alarm be- 

 came general, causing flock after flock to rise, the mass of birds 

 looked quite impenetrable, the noise of their wings resembling 

 thunder more than anything else it could be likened to. These 

 swarms completely bewildered me, and as the birds could have 

 been touched by merely stretching out the arm, I scarcely knew 

 for a time where to turn, or how to get back to the open-air. 

 The idea of being confined within living walls at such an hour 

 was suggestive of a somewhat dangerous roosting-place, and 

 as for thirty minutes at least these legions beset my whereabouts, 

 I was really glad when they came to their senses, and began to 

 settle. Using every precaution, I crawled towards the edge of 

 a precipice, and crouched among some broken peaks, on the 

 other side of which the puffins were beginning to alight. Every 

 available spot was immediately covered by some thousands, 

 each bird touching its neighbours' shoulders ; it would have 

 been impossible to insert one's hand anywhere, they sat so 

 close. Having a stick at my side, I cautiously thrust it past a 

 screening rock ; and by bringing it into rough contact with the 

 nearest one, the sensitive fellow retaliated on his neighbour, 

 which in its turn directed its revenge just where it could most 

 conveniently strike. By this time the stick was offending 

 the rump of another Mormon, till by the clatter of bills I learned 

 that the whole settlement was in an uproar. On starting up I 

 saw that those nearest the bottom of the slope were being 

 pushed over the cliff; but the impression was but momentary, 

 for at once the entire flock rose, and after wheeling seaward in 

 a beautiful curve, they returned and repeated the movement 

 again and again, till I left. 



The puffin arrives on the west coast of Scotland in February, 

 sometimes in January. On the craig itself it is so regular in 

 its appearance and time of leaving, that no dates could be fixed 

 with greater certainty. Whole companies set to work at once, 

 and prepare their barrows, which, in exposed places, much 

 resemble rabbit holes. From these strongholds it is almost 

 impossible to dislodge them by any other means than a little ter- 

 rier trained as a puffin catcher. The keeper having a dog of this 

 kind on the occasion of my last visit, I was greatly amused to 

 see the little fellow, after having pushed his way along the dark 

 passages, shuffling out of a burrow with half-a-dozen or more 

 puffins dangling on different parts of his body. An angry 

 puffin, like a bulldog, never thinks of quitting its hold — a habit 



VOL. iv. — NO. II. K 



