BIRDS OF LLEYN, WEST CARNARVONSHIRE. 503 



third underground, incubation being in full swing. The Puffins 

 come to the islands about March 28th or 29th (or, as another 

 man said, " about the tail-end of the month ") for a few days to 

 look about them, but not many come then. They come in full 

 force at the latter end of April, and come to land about May 

 10th; they leave about Aug. 15th, but late breeding birds will 

 stay nearly a fortnight later for the sake of their young ; but if 

 the latter are not ready to go then they are left. Marked birds 

 have been known to return, and it is believed that they return to 

 their old holes. The burrow of one old marked bird was blocked 

 up with small stones one spring before the Puffins returned. The 

 same bird after a time removed all the stones to a distance, and 

 occupied its old home. I noticed that the Puffins did not rise 

 well from flat ground, unless they could get a clear run, or the 

 wind was against them ; but they get up very readily with the 

 least slope in their favour, unless the grass is long. Stray pairs 

 were breeding where there was long grass, and these, on emerging 

 from their holes, brushed the grass with frantic efforts for some 

 distance, striding out vigorously with their orange legs. They 

 prefer a sloping spot and short turf, or a bit of ground covered 

 with sea-pink ; probably they keep the turf short when they nest 

 in great numbers, for they trample it flat, and in some places it is 

 brown and looks dead. Here they run quickly and well. A sour 

 smell comes on the wind when it blows over the burrows in such 

 places. The silence of the Puffins was remarkable ; it was rarely 

 that a hard " arrr " was heard. Sometimes a grating guttural 

 " go*ay " or " garr " could be heard from a bird below ground; 

 but this is heard much more frequently when the birds have 

 young. But when I stood close to hundreds of birds I did not 

 hear a sound from them, until, as I approached within a few 

 yards, they rose with a rattle and rush of wings, and filled the 

 air like bees round a disturbed hive. A single bird will admit of 

 an approach within two or three yards without moving, merely 

 regarding you intently with its dark grey eye. On June 23rd 

 the eggs (much discoloured with brown earth stains), some of 

 which lay within arm's reach, were hard sat, and some young 

 were just hatched. In this state, with the pip on the bill and the 

 egg-shells under it, the young is covered with long down, black 

 all over except the white belly. Bill dark horn-colour, and much 



