The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-07-16
A GROTESQUE BIRD
The Tufted Puffin Is the Joke of
the Arctic Seas.
TO LOOK AT HIM is TO LAUGH
This Curious Creature Is Silent, Tran.
gull and Droli, With an Air of Pro-
found Gravity and Spends His Win
ters Roaming Over the Ocean.

qun ana DroiIy WIN an AR OF Pro-
found Gravity and Spends His Win
ters Roaming Over the Ocean.
1t is curious fact that the far
north and the far south each has a
sea bird peculiar TO itself, and in both
cases these birds, although unlike one
another in general appearance, are
among the oldest locking members of
the bird family that the world contains.
The characteristic bird of the ant.
arctic regions is the penguin, whose
strutting companies. gathered on an
icy shore. look like assemblages of
little men, in long tailed black coats
and spotless white waistcoats, waiting
10 sit down at ceremonious dinner.
The characteristic bird OF the arctic
regions Is the aux, thick set, awkward
creature fond of fishing, like the pen
guin. The largest member of the fam
uy, the great aux or "gare fowl"
has been driven into extinction within
historic times. Another member, which
the Audubon societies are trying to
protect, is the queer looking laughter
exciting, and yet very grave and ear
nest native citizen Of the north Pacific
shores and islands, called the tufted
putin.
When the tufted putin is looking his
best (which is, of course, during the
counting season. he wears a big red
beak and white mask, through which
his green. red trimmed eyes CLEAN
strangely, and shows a pair of bright
vermilion legs and feet From the top
Of his mask ON one side over the ear.
curls long golden white feather
horn" 1t seems that no description is
able to convey the ludicrous impress
sion which these birds make upon the
beholder. Sailors seeing them for the
first time break into outlaws of laugh
ter. They call them "sea parrots and
on account Of their drolly grave man
ners they have also been nicknamed
"Quakers.
Says William Leon Dawson: at is
difficult TO eXaggerate the gravity OF
these tranquil birds always absolute
ly silent, save that when caught and
harassed, they may emit a low, hoarse
groan. They spend much time stand
ing demurely at the entrances of their
burrows, their little plumes nodding
like tassels on SO many caps"
Like all the auks. the pufFins are es-
pecially remarkable for the great size
of their beaks and the changes which
their heads undergo at the breeding
season. Some Of the horny plates Of
the big beak fall away at the end OF
the season, the white mask on the face,
together with its nodding plumes, dis
appears. the red eyelids fade and the
whole head becomes backish
Naturalists are a little puzzled to nc
count for the size and stoutness OF the
puffin's beak If the bird were fond
Of CLAIMS its beak might be of use as a
shell breaker, but it seems not to be
employed in that way. Neither is 1t
used to dig the tunnels or burrows
that the bird forms for its nest in the
hard soil of sea fronting cliffs These
are excavated TO a depth of three or
four feet, and apparently the only
tools used are the sharp nailed claws
In some places it is estimated that
several thousand burrows exist ON a
single acre of sloping shore. The rab-
bits and pufiins engage in Il lively com
petition for the possession of burrows
on the Faralloues islands, but the big
pyramid pointed beak gives easy vic
tory IN these contests. Mr. Dawson
says frightened rabbit will sometimes
plunge hastily into a burrow without
stopping 70 consider to whom it be-
longs, and when he comes out again.
with more haste than ever, he Is a
subject for laughter.
The natives of the north Pacific is
lands depend largely upon puffins for
both food and clothing. The Aleutlan
''parkas, or feather coats, are made
ef the skins of putiius, with the feather
side turned inward Forty-fiye or fifty
skins sewed firmly together make a
garment which is said to be nearly
impervious to cold The birds are Of
ten caught In flight by means of nets
at the end of poles handled like butter
skillful and agile on the wing, the puff
fins fly straight ahead and are unable
to dodge quickly.
Strange as the statement may ap-
pear the puffins, like the auks general
ly. spend the winter at sea. At that
season they are to be seen on land only
when driven ashore by some resistless
tempest, which strews the beaches
with their battered forms. many dead
and many hopelessly famed. With the
advance of spring and summer they
approach the shores where they are
accustomed to breed, and then the re-
markable changes of their colors, form
and plumage that have been already
described begin to take place.-Gar-
rett P. Seryiss In Spokane Spokesman
Review.