902 



THE TrF-l'EI) 



TFIX. 



wing 7.75 I ii)i>.'^i; tail 2.75 ((kj.ijI: tarsus i._^o (331; bill (clidrd <)f cuIiikmi) 

 2.40 (di ), yi-^-an'st ik'inh (if hill 1.90 (48.3). 



Recognition Marks. — Appeariiijj Crow size by reason of relatively short 

 tail; black plumage with white face and tufts and large vermilion bill unmistak- 

 able in breeding jilumage : size and com])ressed shape of bill still distinctive in 

 winter. 



Nesting. — Eny: single, white, usually marked obscurely with pale brown and 

 purjilish ; of variable sha])e. sometimes nearly equal-ended, sometimes ]X)inted at 

 one end something like a JMurre's ; laid at end of burrow in earth-bank or, more 

 rarely, in crevice of rock, or in shelter of brush. Season: June; one chick. 



General Range. — Coasts and islands (if the North Pacific, breeding on the 

 American side from the Farallones ncjrth to Kotzebue Sound ; south on the 

 Asiatic side to Japan. 



Range in Washington. — Breeding sjiaringly on some of the smaller islands 

 of the San Juan groii]>. abundantly on the ( )lympiades, notably Alexander Islet 

 and Carroll Islet; seldom ventures upon I'uget Sound south of Port Townsend. 



Authorities. — Mormon cirrhata (Pall.). Cassin, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX. 

 1858, p. 902. C&S. L'. Rh. E. 



Specimens.— 1 1', of W. ) P. Pn.v. C. I'.X. E. 



IN spite of the pleasant tale of Halcyon, the Kingfisher, no bird has yet 

 perfected an arrangement for nesting n])on the high seas. Our maritime 

 friends are, therefore, obliged to appear ashore and gi\-e account of themselves 

 at least once ;i \ear. Fortunatelw tlie\- are nmsl ]iresentalile at this season, 

 and so interesting that we nia\- well afford to o\erIook their long absence 

 din'ing the dull season. 



Ptiffins, in common with other species of the Alcidcc. spend the winter 

 n])on the ocean and are onl\- seen near land when the buffeting of some storm 

 of umisual se\'erit\- strews the sand with carcasses of dt^vA 

 and womided. As s])ring a<l\ances. these birds are prmided 

 with an extraordinary array of nuptial 

 ornanients and ap])eiidages. ]\lales and 

 females alike receive, in ]5lace of dull 

 black feathers, a wdiite facial mask; and 

 this is prolonged ])elnnd 

 from either side into long 

 waM'ng feather "horns" 

 of a rich, dee]) straw- 

 color. The eyelid becomes 

 a 1>rilliant red ; and the 

 great red beak, always 

 stout and strongly com- 

 l^ressed, is further aug- 

 mented basally by a new 

 set of hornv jilates of a 



Taken on Cairull Islet. 



Photo by Lynds Jo 



A QUAINT FOWL! 



