THE PIGEON GUILLEMOT. 



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General Range. — Coasts and islands of the North I'acihc, southward from 

 Bering Strait to northern Japan, and the Santa Barbara Islands, California. 



Range in Washington. — Common resident thruout the length and breadth of 

 Puget Soinid and adjacent waters: much less common resident on the Olympiades. 



Authorities. — Uria columha (Pall.), Cass.. Cassin (Baird), Re]). Pac. R. K. 

 Surv. IN. pt. 11. 1858. p. 912. T. C&S. Rh. Kk. B. E. 



Specimens.— (U. of W. ) P. Prov. B. BN. H. 



UNOUESTIONABLY the most characteristic water bird of the Puget 

 Sound region is this Pigeon Guillemot, or "Sea Pigeon," as it is commonly 



called. It shares the latter name 

 dclphia). the the significance of it 

 posture ( at least a-wing ) and 

 in their manner of flocking: 

 while the Guillemot owes the 

 name both to its plumpness 

 and to its \-ery unsophisti- 

 cated, not to say stupid, ap- 

 pearance. 



The Guillemot is most in 



with the Bonaparte Gull (Lanis phila- 

 is ditferent. The gulls are do\e-like in 



evidence in nesting time 



and 



it enjoys a more uniform dis- 

 tribution at this season than 

 in winter, when there are no 

 local ties to bind it to a gix-ei- 

 stretch r)f water. The im- 

 pression <it scarcity 



during 



winter is strengthened by the 

 fact that at this season the 

 birds frequent the more oper 

 waters, where they a\'oid 

 close approach, whether b;,- 

 row-boat or steamer : and 

 that they present a totally 

 dififerent appearance. In win- 

 ter they are clad for the mos^ 

 part in a suit of spectral gray, 

 which resolves itself, only up- 

 on close examination, into a 

 definite pattern, or mixture, 

 of black and white. This 



plumage is taken on in .September, but is exchanged for the solid nuptial 

 black (with white wing patches) early in the sjiring, — not infrequently by the 

 middle of Februar\-, and occasionally by the joth of January. 





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A bll.Ui II I. I 1 I-., 



