THE TUFTED PUFFIN. 901 



WHILE far less wary than the last named species, Gaz'iu stclluta is by no 

 means a conspicuous winter resident and migrant along Puget Suund water- 

 ways and the Pacific Coast. If the jjird-watcher has opportunity to spy upon 

 one of these birds from a shore blind, he may satisfy himself only upon making- 

 out the white speckles df the bird's ])ack : for this mark alone distinguishes it 

 with certainty from other Loons in winter. In spring, however, the bird may 

 pass the bows of a steamer close eudugh to permit a good view nf tlu- rich 

 chestnut gorget contrasting with surrounding gray. 



Red-throated Loons are more numerous during migrations than in win- 

 ter ; and this fact, as compared with G. pacifica, comports with the more 

 southerlv summer range of stcllata. Of their occurrence in Alaska, Nelson 

 sa\-s ; "At Saint iNIichaels and the Yukon delta the\- arrive with the first open 

 water from Ala}- u to jo, and by the end of this month are present in large 

 numbers. Their arrival is at once announced Ijy the lioarse, grating cries, 

 which the birds utter as they lly from place to place, or float upon the water. 

 When the ponds are open on the marshes the Red-throated Loons take pos- 

 session, and are extremely noisy all through the iirst part of summer. The 

 harsh gr-r-ga g''-i'. gr-r-ga, ya. gr-r. rising everywhere from the marshes dur- 

 ing the entire twent\'-four hours, renders this note one of the most character- 

 istic that greets the ear in spring in these northern wilds." 



No. 364. 



TUFTED PUFFIN. 



A. O. U. No. 12. Lunda cirrhata Pall. 



Synonym. — Se.\ P.\RR0T. 



Description. — Adult in breeding plumaye: Sides of head, narrowly, extreme 

 forehead, and chin, white: the area continued backward over and behind eye ',■■-, 

 lengthened, undulating ])kin-ie-tuft of close-set, silken feathers, changing pos- 

 teriorly to deep straw-yellow ; general color of remaining plumage black, bluisli 

 above, sooty-brownish below, changing to sooty-gray on belly ; wings and tail 

 black, browning on inner webs; lining of wings smoky gray. I'dll highly com- 

 pressed, outline of culmen doublv convex, the distal portion of upper mandible 

 marked by two or three curved grooves convex backward ; distal portion of bill 

 vermilion, basal plates yellowish horn-color ; iris last-named shade to white ; eye- 

 ring vermilion; feet vermilion with black nails. Adult after the breeding sea'son: 

 Without crests ; white of face replaced by dusky : bill smaller and dark-colored 

 basally, seven deciduous plates having been shed ; iris "pale blue" ; feet "pale 

 salmon flesh-color." Young: Like adults in winter, but bill smaller and weaker, 

 without grooves and saddled at base with soft dark skin. Dozt'ny young: Nearly 

 uniforn-i slatv black: bill black with outcropping of dull red near the middle; 

 first feathers on belly pure white. Length of adult: 13.00-16.00 (381.00-406.4) ; 



