DIVING BIRDS 



Murre 



28. Mandt's Guillemot. Cepphus mandti. 



Range. — North Atlantic coast, more north- 

 erly than the preceding, breeding from Labra- 

 dor to northern Greenland. 



The bird differs from the Black Guillemot 

 only in having the bases of the coverts white 

 also. The nesting habits and eggs are identi- 

 cal. They nest in colonies of thousands and 

 place the eggs upon the bare rock with no at- 

 tempt at nest building. Generally the eggs 

 are in the crevices so as to be difficult to get 

 at. Size 2. .30 x 1.55. Data. — Depot Island, Hud- 

 son Bay, June 6, 1894. Two eggs laid on bare 

 rocky ground. Collector .Fohn Comer. 



29. Pigeon Guillejiot. Cepphus columha. 



Range. — The Pacific Coast of North Amer- 

 ica, breeding from southern California north- 

 ward. This bird is very similar to the Black 

 Guillemot except that the under surfaces of 

 the wings are dark. They breed abundantly on some of the islands of Bering 

 Sea and a few of them nest on the Farallones. They lay their two eggs on 

 the bare rock in dark crevices. The color is grayish or pale greenish blue 

 and the markings are brown and 



black with paler shell markings of _..«^ . 



lilac. Size, 2.40x1.60. Data.— S. ., ■ -*f^ ' •" • " - ■ >^ 



Farallone Islands, Cal. Two eggs 

 laid on gravel at the end of a bur- 

 roAv, about two feet from the en- 

 trance and 285 feet above the sea 

 level. Collector, Claude Fyfe. 



.SO. ^NltRRE. Vria troile froille. 



Range. — North Atlantic coasts 

 and islands, breeding from Bird 

 Rock northward. Murres are sim- 

 ilar in form to the Guillemots, but 

 are larger, being about 16 inches 

 in length. Entire head and neck 

 sooty brown; rest of upper parts 

 grayish black except the tips of 

 the secondaries which are white. Under parts white. These birds nest by 

 thousands on Bird Rock and on the cliffs of Labrador. They build no nests 

 but simply lay their single egg on the narrow ledges of cliffs, where the only 

 guarantee against its rolling off is its peculiar shape which causes it, when 

 moved, to revolve about its smaller end instead of rolling off the ledge. The 

 eggs are laid as closely as possible on the ledges where the incubating birds 

 sit upright, in long rows like an army on guard. As long as each bird suc- 

 ceeds in finding an egg to cover, on its return home, it is doubtful if they 

 either know or care whether it is their own or not. The ground color of the 

 eggs vary from white to a deep greenish blue and the markings of blackish 

 brown vary in endless patterns, some eggs being almost wholly unspotted. 

 Size 3.40 x 2. Data.— South Labrador, June 19, 1884. Single egg laid on the 

 bare cliff. Large colonv breeding. Collector, M. A. Gra.'jar. 



29 



Pale bluish gray 



