54 
BUILD OF PUFFIN. 
rare and almost unknown bird. I therefore conclude, that 
its autumnal course is along the western coasts of France, 
Spain and Africa. 
Then when one takes a dead puffin in hand, there is a 
great deal to admire in his build. I learned from the fish- 
ermen, that they very often catch puffins in their nets, and 
in deep water too, so that we have strong evidence that 
Mr. Puffin pursues his prey under water : now if we take 
one round the waist and look in his face, we shall find his 
beak is just the shape for cutting the water : it is a para- 
gon of strength, yet offers no resistance : like the keen 
edge of an axe, it cleaves its own passage, the body fol- 
lowing, as a matter of course. The ribs and channels of 
the beak are very curious ; possibly the ribs give additional 
strength, and both they and the channels are so arranged 
as to offer no resistance whatever. But the nostril is the 
most remarkable : it is a long slit, close to the mouth, and 
by passing a straw into it, you find that its opening is so 
managed that it would be impossible for the water to get 
in, however rapid the bird's course. As in the whole tribe 
of auks, to which this funny -looking bird belongs, the 
wings are short, and the legs are placed far behind, so that 
in under-surface swimming both legs and wings serve as 
fins to propel it through the water. Its chief food is fish, 
and with these it feeds its young : the head of the fish is 
is kept in the bird's mouth, which ends on each side in a 
little 'India-rubber' kind of ring; this gripes the fish just 
abaft the gills, and the fish's tail hangs dangling down. 
