104 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARCTIC AMERICA. 



fully ou the Hiinde and Green Islands in Disko Bay, where eggs were 

 procured. There seems to be no appreciable difference in Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence specimens and those from Xorth Greenland except in size. 



82. Mergulus alle, L. 



" Kaerrak," Greculaucleis. 



Common on the north coast of Labrador, oft' Itesolution Island, Grin- 

 nell Bay, and Frobisher Straits, but did not see any in Cumberland. 

 I showed specimens to the Eskimo, and they called it a young " alqia" 

 {Lomvia arra). So I presume the bird is Aery rare, if found at all, in 

 the Cumberland waters. Still they are abundant off" Exeter Sound* and 

 to the northward on the west coast of Bafidu's Bay. Governor Fenc- 

 ker says they nest to latitude 78^- N., and jierhaps farther. IS'est 

 abundantly on the Whale Islands in Disko Bay. I procured young off' 

 llesolution Island in the fore part of Sei)tember. They were very 

 common among the pack-ice in Davis Straits during July. Often a 

 considerable number would be seen sitting on the ice. They seem 

 devoid of fear. I have caught them from the schooner's deck with a 

 net on the end of a pole while they were swimming alongside. 



83. Uria grylle, (L.) Lath. 



'•' Pesliolak," Cumberlaud Eskimo. " Serbek," or " Sergvak," Gieeulauders. 



Was first observed off Eesolution Island in the first days of Septem- 

 ber, 1877. They were then busily engaged fishing and carrying the fish 

 Tip the cliff's to the young, which were not yet in the water. They are 

 most expert divers and are often seen fishing where there is a consider- 

 able depth of water. I once shot an adult female that was carrying a 

 little Morrhua 7 inches in length up to her young. This was on the 19th 

 of September, and the young were not more than three-fourths grown 

 at this date. I visited no locality either on Cumberland or on the Green- 

 land coast where this bird was not abundant. Some sections are of 

 course more suitable than others, and here they are very numerous. 

 They began to change into the winter plumage in the latter part of Sep- 

 tember. Some of the earlier-hiitched young were much earlier than 

 this, but the adults were not in perfect winter dress till the middle of 

 October. They remained about our winter harbor as long as there was 

 open water, and even one or two staid in the Kingwah rifts all winter. 

 In spring they returned as soon as there was open water. About the 

 Southern Cumberland waters some remain all winter, — the Eskimo 

 say only the young birds. At Annanactook Harbor they began nest- 

 ing about June 25. The normal number of eggs is two ; very rarely 



