The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-07-15
a CR0TESQUE BIRD.
The Tufted Putin Is the Joke of
the Arctic Seas.
TO LOOK AT HIM IS TO LAUGH.

tors Roaming Over the Ocean.
It is curious fact that the far
north and the far south each has q
sea bird peculiar to itself, and In both
cases these birds. although unlike one
another in general appearance, are
among the oldest looking 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
to sit down at ceremonious dinner.
The characteristic bird Of the arctic
regions Is the aux, q thick set, awkward
creature, fond Of fishing. like the pen
gum. The largest member Of the fam
lily. 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 big red
beak and q 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 a 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: ut Is
difficult to exaggerate the gravity OF
these tranquil birds. always absolute
" silent. save that when caught and
harassed, they may emit 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 blackish.
Naturalists are a little puzzled to ac-
. 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 1t seems not to be
employed In that way. Neither IL 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 OF
four feet. and apparently the only
tools used are the sharp nailed claws.
In some places 1t is estimated that
several thousand burrows exist on
single acre Of sloping shore. The rab
bits aud puffins engage in lively com
/ petition for the possession Of burrow:
i on the Farallones islands, but the big
/ pyramid pointed beak gives easy vic
| tory in these contests. Mr.. Dawson
| says a frightened rabbit will sometime
| plunge hastily into a burrOw withou
/ stopping to consider to whom 1t be
II longs, and when he comes out again
II with more haste than ever, he Is
IL Suhioct for laughter.
The natives of the north Pacific IL
II lands depend largely upon pufins 10
both food and clothing. The Aleutial
.'parkas," or feather coats. are mad
II Of the skins of puffins, with the feathe
II side turned inward. Forty-f1ve or hft
/ skins sewed firmly together make
y garment which Is said to be nearl
i. impervious to cold. The birds are OF
ten caught in flight by means OF net
Mt the end Of poles handled like buttei
rId y nets. Unlike birds that are NOR
skillful and agile on the wing. the pul
fms fiy straight ahead and are unabl
to dodge quickly.
! Strange as the statement may az
Z pear the pufins. like the auks genera
". spend the winter at sea. At tins
season they are to be seen on land oni
when driven ashore by some resistles
tempest, which strews the beache
with their battered forms, many dea
and many hopelessly famed. With IL
advance of spring and summer the
approach the shores where they 81
accustomed to breed, and then the r
markable changes of their colors, 1orl
and plumage that have been alreao
described begin to take place.-Ga
rett p. Serviss in Spokane Spokesman
Review.
a..r.r. of Costa Rica.