514 THE DIVING BIRDS - PYGOPODES. 



portion becomes much smaller than in the breeding-season) are shed, giving that member a totally 

 diflerent appearance. In this stage the bird is the Alca tdracula of Pallas ; while before reaching 

 maturity it is the Uria dubia of the same author. 



The Crested Auk is eminently oceanic, and, like several others of this remarkable 

 group, peculiar to the Northern Pacific Ocean and Behring's Sea, and comiuon both 

 to the Asiatic and the American coasts ; rarely resorts to land, and apparently only 

 for the purposes of breeding, whicdi takes place from May to August. 



Examples of this species were taken at Simoda and in the Bay of Yedo, Japan, 

 by the naturalists of Captain Perry's Expedition ; and INIr. H. Whitely ("Ibis," 1867) 

 mentions having captured two others in a voyage between Yokohama and Hakodadi. 

 It was blowing a gale off the land at the time, and several others were observed. 

 Specimens of this l)ii'd were also procured at Kadiak by Mr. Bischoff. 



j\Ir. Dall. ill his Notes on the Avifauna of the Aleutian Islands eastward from 

 Unalaslika, speaks of the Crested Auk as having been found abundant in very large 

 flocks outside of Captain's Bay, Unalashka ; but says that it was rarely seen inside 

 the I>ay except during very severe storms. It was resident there, as well as at the 

 Shumagins. In his Notes on the Birds found west of Unalashka, he refers to this 

 species as being abundant off the shore in large flocks, which covered acres. It is 

 a resident species ; but from Kyska eastward it is rarely seen in bays or harbors. 

 Several specimens were shot at Plover Bay, Eastern Siberia, by Captain Everett 

 Smith. 



It is called the Canooskie by the natives of the Prybilof Islands, where it was 

 found by Mr. Elliott, Avho speaks of it as a fantastic-looking bird, conspicuous by 

 reason of its curling crest and l)right crimson bill. It breeds there in company v/ith 

 the Ciceronia pusilla, but is present in small numbers as compared with the latter, 

 there being only a few tliousand pairs at St. Paul's, and relatively more on St. 

 George's. 



It makes its appearance early in May, and repairs to chinks and holes in the rocky 

 cliffs, or deep down under large bowlders and rough basaltic shingle, to lay — making 

 no nest whatever, depositing the egg upon the bare earth or rock. But so well do 

 these birds succeed in secreting it, that, although he was constantly upon the ground 

 where several thousand pairs were hiying, he was unable successfully to overturn the 

 rocks under which they hide, or get more than four eggs ; which number was the 

 result of over a hundred attempts. The note of this bird Avhile mating is a h)ud 

 clanging, honk-like sound ; at all other seasons it is silent. It lays but one egg, 

 and the parents take turns in the labor of incubation and in feeding their young. 

 The egg is rough, pure white, but with frequent discolorations, and, as compared with 

 the size and weight of the parents, very large ; it is of an elongated oblong-oval 

 shape, the smaller end being quite pointed. Length, 2.10 inches ; width, 1.40. Mr. 

 Elliott did not see any chicks, nor could he get any information as to their appearance 

 from the natives ; but he shot the young as they came out for the first time from 

 their hiding-places, fully fledged with the exception of the crest. The time was 

 from the 10th to the 15th of August, and they were then as large as the old birds, 

 and of the same color and feathering. In this species there is no sexual variation in 

 size or plumage, males and females appearing precisely alike. The bright crimson 

 bill varies considerably in its relative strength and curve, the slenderer bill not being 

 confined to the young birds, some old ones having the light and more pointed beak. 



Mr. Adams mentions (" Ibis," 1878) obtaining two specimens that had been picked 

 up at sea by a native, June 14, in Norton Sound, Alaska. They were weak and half 



