5 
of a dumb person to speak, and when re- 
lieved, instead of flying away, will hurry 
again into the burrow to their young. 
Their food is sprats, the smaller kind of 
crabs, and sea-weeds ; their flesh is exces- 
sively rank, yet the young are preserved 
with spices and pickled, and by some peo- 
ple much admired. They are potted at St, 
Kilda and elsewhere, and sent to London as 
rarities. The bones are taken out, and the 
flesh wrapped up in the skin; are eaten 
with vinegar, and are said to taste like 
potted herrings. 
It is the opinion of authors that these 
birds retire from our coasts, and are all 
completely migrated by the beginning of 
September. We suspect that they merely 
retire to the more open Sea, for the conve- 
nience of collecting their proper sustenance, 
as we have had them sent to us in the 
months of February and December, and 
concert, which, joined with the wild scenery that sur- 
rounds] us, afforded, in a high degree that species 
of pleasure which arises from the novelty, and we may 
say gloomy grandeur of the entertainment " 
