BREEDING COLONIES. 
857 
one could see that the direction lay up and down, between 
the sea and the rock. The more we advanced the more 
their numbers increased. The waters were covered with 
birds; and when we found ourselves on the summit of 
the mountain we looked around from a height of three 
hundred feet, and yet we could neither see where the 
living swarm ended, nor observe any part of the sea 
unoccupied by howl. I essayed to estimate their num¬ 
bers : fixing the eye on a small square, and dividing that 
again into four others, I began to count. By this means 
I made out that one of the lesser squares contained over 
two hundred birds, which thus gave about a thousand for 
the large one. I could, however, have placed thousands of 
these squares together, and yet not have filled the space 
which I saw covered with birds. The flapping, whirring, 
rushing, and screaming around us, was such as to make 
one almost giddy: here I saw and understood the beauty 
and charm of life in every motion. The Razorbills, 
apparently so stiff, did not remain quiet for an instant, 
but were unceasingly moving, at the very least the head 
and neck, in all directions: this improved their appear¬ 
ance immensely, for it gave an artistic character to their 
outlines ; they constantly bent themselves backwards and 
forwards, as though scenting or on the look out. The 
Puffins sat quite still, hut for their extraordinary-looking 
heads, which were in perpetual motion; they often 
shuffled to and fro on their ledge of rock, and looked 
most comical when peering down with questioning 
glances from the entrance of their holes. 
It gave one untold pleasure to wander among these 
millions of creatures. I was sometimes looked upon with 
astonishment, at others with dread. I could have 
“ bagged” hundreds, hut did not shoot any on the first 
