54 



THE MUSEUM. 



uals occasionally appearing durini^ the 

 winter and dead bodies re°jularly cast 

 ashore after each severe storm of that 

 season. About the ist of April, or a 

 little earlier, their enormous tiocks ap- 

 proach the shore and take possession 

 of the rookeries. When breeding, the 

 long rows of "Ares" on the narrow 

 shelves of rock where they have de- 

 posited their many-colored, large, pear- 

 shaped eggs, face the rocky wall with 

 their white breasts, turning their black 

 backs to the spectators. When flying 

 off their nest they consequently are 

 compelled to first turn around, and if 

 taken by surprise, their maneuver will 

 often cause them to throw the egg 

 from the shelf into the water. 



It happened several times when I 

 stealthily approached in a boat under 

 the breeding colonies, that several eggs 

 were thrown into the boat when the 

 birds rushed off the nests, (if the bare 

 rock upon which the egi^ is placed can 

 be called a nest) and my Aleutian oars- 

 men were always in a roar of laughter 

 when one of these projectiles exploded 

 on the head of an unfortunate com 

 rade. A series of eggs of all shades, 

 from white to deep greenish blue, are 

 collected, and measure from 79 to 84 

 nnn long by 48 to 53 ////// wide. 



Whiskered Auklet, Sinur/ivjirhiis 



This little Auklet, certainly the 

 prettiest of the whole family, h is its 

 favorite home on the steep, rocky 

 shores of Copper Island, but may be 

 found breeding all along the coast 

 where suitable holes and crevices or. 

 cur. I also found nesting places, near 

 some of the main villages. Notwith- 

 standing the fact that the birds are 

 rather common it must be considered 



good luck to meet them and get op- 

 portunity of observing them, for they 

 are rather shy and live quite retired in 

 their deep holes. They are such early 

 breeders, being considerably ahead of 

 their allies. In fact so early that no 

 eggs could be procured the latter part 

 of June when I had opportunity of 

 going after them. The nests at this 

 time contained young, which remain 

 in the nest imtil full grown. On 

 July [8th a young bird was found early 

 in the morning, concealed in a fold of 

 the sails, the inexperienced youth hav- 

 ing probably mistaken it for a crevice 

 of rock. When the breeding season 

 is over they all retire to the ocean. 



PAROOUEr Auklet, Cyclorrhynclius 

 psittacjihis. 



This species arrives in the islands 

 about the end of April. The best 

 time to observe them is about 4 

 o'clock in the morning and also at the 

 same hour in the afternoon as the 

 rest of the day before the breeding has 

 begun, is passed away out at sea, and 

 after that time in the deep holes of 

 the rock in which the nests are loca- 

 ted. Atthetiine mentioned they may 

 be seen sitting in pairs on the rocky 

 ledge outside of the nest cave. Their 

 voice is a clear vibrating whistle. 



Horned Puffin, Fratercula CornicK- 

 lata. 



Not very common on the islands as 

 compared with the Tufted Puffin, Lnn- 

 (ia cirrhatir, probably because suitable 

 breeding places are scarce as they re- 

 quire rather deep holes in rocks or be- 

 tween stones. A few pairs, or where 

 the lo:ality offers more nesting oppor- 

 tunities, some small colonies are found 

 scatterevi among the rookeries of the 



