The Tufted Puffin 



numbers are caught annually by means of small nets mounted on poles, — 

 a sort of glorified butterfly hunt. The Puffin meat is not distasteful, as 

 sea-birds go, although white men do not care for it. More important to 

 the native Aleutian is the uniform tough skin, which goes into the making 

 of parkas, the famed feather-coats of the North. These garments, each 

 requiring the use of from forty-five to fifty Puffin skins, are made up 

 feather-side in, and are nearly impervious to cold. 



With the natives we shall, of course, have to be very patient until 

 such time as the channels of distribution have been perfected, so that they 

 they may have Gloucester codfish, Yakima potatoes, and Ventura beans 

 for food, instead of the flesh of "Toporki" (the Commander Island name 

 for Puffin), and garments made of good Irish wool, instead of flimsy bird- 

 skins. With the fishermen (imported) we shall have to be very firm, re- 

 minding them that Uncle Sam is willing to subscribe liberally for fish 

 spawn, to fill the ocean if need be, so that there may be indeed food for all, 

 birds and humans; but very unwilling to see his guests assault the. ancient 

 rights of his feathered wards. 



For ourselves, we need no economic excuse to cloak our interest in 

 these quaint old-men-of-the-sea, the Tufted Puffins. Remote, unob- 

 trusive though they be, they belong to us to study, to protect (as need 

 arises), to enjoy. A visit paid to one of their breeding haunts is like a 

 trip to fairyland, a real and tangible bit of romance. Such a privilege, 



Taken off the coast of Washington Photo by the Author 



THE EXCURSION 



PROBABLY THESE BIRDS ARE FOLLOWING THE MOVEMENT OF A SCHOOL OF FISH. THEY ARE NOT MIGRANTS. SINCE IT IS THE BREEDING SEASON, 



JUNE 



1515 



