THE PENGUIN—THE PUFFIN. 327

to be sure that it is not a fish leaping for sport.” The pen-
guin is a courageous bird, and will not hesitate to attack a
man. Mr. Darwin when on the Falkland Islands, placed
himself between one of the Patagonian penguins and the
water, and till it reached the sea, it regularly fought and
drove him backwards. It stood close before him, erect and
determined, and every inch gained it firmly kept. Nothing
less than heavy blows would have stopped it.

The Pufin. The Puffin is a bird of singular appearance
and interesting habits. It is sometimes called the sea parrot
from the resemblance of its head to that of the Parrot
kind. The bird measures thirteen inches in length, and its
bill is a formidable weapon. The Raven seems to be its
natural enemy, and when they come to close quarters a
great deal depends upon which succeeds in getting the first
grip. Waturally each bird has the best chance in its own
element. It is a bird of passage, visiting its customary
breeding places in the summer and wintering in southern
Europe. Mr. Rennie says, “In the breeding season, numer-
ous troops of them visit several places on our coasts,
particularly the small island of Priestholm, near Anglesey,
’ which might well be called puffin land, as the whole surface
appears literally covered with them. Soon after their arrival
in May, they prepare for breeding, and it is said, the male,
contrary to the usual economy of birds, undertakes the hardest
part of the labour. He begins by scraping up a hole
in the sand not far from the shore; and after having got
some depth he throws himself on his back, and with his
powerful bill as a digger and his broad feet to remove
the rubbish, he excavates a burrow with several windings
and turnings, from eight to ten feet deep. He prefers,
where he can find a stone, to dig under it, in order that
his retreat may be more securely fortified. Whilst thus
employed, the birds are so intent upon their work that they
are easily caught by the hand.”