114 
N ATUIt AL HISTORY. 
the beginning of May, return again with the whole army of 
their companions. But i ( the season happens to be stormy and 
tempestuous, and the sea troubled, the unfortunate voyagers 
undergo incredible hardships ; and they are found, by hun- 
dreds, cast away upon the shores, lean and perished with 
famine. 
The puffin, when it prepares for breeding, which always 
happens a few days after its arrival, begins to scrape out a 
hole in the ground not far from the shore; and when it has 
some way penetrated the earth, it then throws itself upon its 
back, and with its bill and claws thus burrows inward, till 
it has dug a hole with several windings and turnings, from 
eight to ten feet deep. It particularly seeks to dig under a 
stone, where it expects the greatest security. In this forti- 
fied retreat it lays one egg; which, though the bird be not 
much bigger than a pigeon, is of the size of a hen’s. 
Few birds or beasts will venture to attack them in their 
retreats. When the great sea-raven comes to take away 
their young, the puffins boldly oppose him. Their meeting 
affords a most singular combat. As soon as the raven ap- 
proaches the puffin catches him under the throat with its 
beak, and sticks its claws into its breast, which makes the 
raven, with a loud screaming, attempt to get away ; but the 
little bird still holds fast to the invader, nor lets him go till 
they both come to the sea, where they drop down together, 
and the raven is drowned : yet the raven is but too often 
successful ; and invading the puffin at the bottom of its hole, 
devours both the parent and its family. 
The little ank is still less than the puffin, being not above 
the size of a blackbird. 
Of the foreign birds of this genus, the tufted auk is one 
of the most curious. It is somewhat bigger than the puffin, 
and is distinguished by a tuft of feathers four inches in 
length, which arises over each eye, and falls elegantly on 
each side of the neck. It is found at Kamschatka. 
The crested auk is perhaps still more remarkable, having 
its head adorned with a crest, composed of long feathers, and 
which curves forward over the bill. This bird inhabits the 
islands contiguous to Japan. Besides these, there are the par- 
roquet and dushy ante, and some other species of less note. 
The Gu i let: mot is nearly allied to the preceding genus, 
but it wants the characteristic bill, which in this genus is 
slender, strong and pointed. 
The largest species with which we are acquainted is the 
Foolish Guillemot , which weighs about twenty-four ounces, 
