PUFFIN. 
235 
harbour of North Berwick, a large colony of these 
birds used to resort ; they breed entirely in bur- 
rows, or under piles of large rocks; when ap- 
proaching the island, the tops of these rocks might 
be seen covered with those which were not on 
duty under them ; and when alarmed, they would 
betake themselves to the sea ; but, after a time, 
they appeared to congregate, and flew in one large 
flock around the island, taking the same line ; so 
that, by standing on one spot,,w r e procured as many 
as we wished from the regular return of the flock 
past us. 
The Puffin is used as an article of food by vari- 
ous island and northern tribes in whose vicinity 
they breed, by the St. Kildeans they are eaten, and 
the “ Voyagers round the Coast of Scotland and the 
Isles ” have stated that their chief sustenance at this 
time consisted of the small sea-fowl before-men- 
tioned under the name of Puffin. They are caught 
by stretching a piece of cord along the stony places 
where they chiefly congregate, to which nooses are 
attached, — and many are salted for the winter’s 
use. 
Out of Europe, we do not know how far south 
their breeding stations extend ; but northward they 
incubate in very high latitudes. In the New World, 
Audubon observed them, in winter, as far south as 
the entranco of the river Savannah, in Georgia, and 
found them breeding in abundance in Labrador, 
some of the islands being completely undermined 
by them. 
