AN ALASKAN ISLAND. 17 



almost solid bunches (the grass remaining from many years) the 

 murrelets would force their way, leaving only a slight hole in 

 the mass, which was usually very hard to detect. After once 

 gaining an entrance into this matted vegetation, and working 

 their way in for two or three feet, a shallow cavity about five 

 inches in diameter and two or three inches deep was scratched 

 out. This was nicely lined with dry grass of last year's growth, 

 carried in from the outside, making a neat and snug home in 

 which two beautiful eggs, comprising a set, were deposited. 



Some of their nests were found fully two hundred yards 

 from the water. In the other situations mentioned little and 

 often no nest is made, and the eggs are deposited on the 

 bare rocks, in soft sand, or on the wet, muddy soil. I even 

 took several sets on the bare ice at the bottom of some auklets' 

 burrows, the ground being still frozen immediately beneath 

 the grass and moss on July third, when 1 left the island. 



Like the auklets, they exchange places nightly, and while 

 one attends to the home cares, the other is usually a number 

 of miles out at sea on the feeding grounds. What their food 

 consists of at this time of the year I am unable to say. 



Great numbers of these birds are taken by Peale's falcon. 

 As I have already stated, the murrelets are mainly found at 

 some distance from land during the day ; and here, too, this 

 falcon pursues them, watching for a chance to seize any mur- 

 relet he succeeds in driving from the water. After having 

 secured its prey, the falcon circles about for a short time, and 

 then partakes of its meal. To do this he hovers, remaining 

 almost stationary for several minutes at a time ; in the mean- 

 time the prey is raised well up to the beak with both feet and 

 promptly devoured. When the murrelets return to land at 

 nightfall, the falcon is there also to meet them, and soon 

 again secures his nightly repast. 

 o 



