u 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 10- No. 1 



course they are not as fat as the real article, 

 but served iipcm toast tliey are not to be 

 despisetl. ./. P. .V. 



Birds of the North Atlantic. 



Mr. Andreas T. Haserup, who spent sonie- 

 thing over two years at a Danish mining viUage 

 in Oreenland, has sent to mean account of the 

 birds observed by him while journeyinf;' from 

 Greenlauil to Denmark, ami I think some ex- 

 tracts from Ids letter will be interesting' to the 

 readers of the O. & O. 



The only representative of tlie Loon tribe 

 met with on the passage was one Red-throated 

 Diver, an adult, seen off the Shetland Islands. 



A large number of some species of Auk was 

 seen in the Xortli Sea, between 14° and 8^ 

 west longitude, that were supposed to be 

 Murres. Numerous single l)irds and some 

 small flocks were seen. 



Bruniiich's Murres, also singly ami in small 

 Hocks, were passed about 100 Englisli miU's 

 south of Cape Farewell. 



Tvittiwake Gulls were in attendance from the 

 time the vessel left Greenland till within So 

 miles of the Shetland Islands, and consider- 

 able numbers were in siglit daily. Tliis bird 

 is less voracious than the Fulmar, but will 

 swoop down for any offal that may be thrown 

 from the vessel. Tlie sailors say that when 

 the Kittiwakes hover about the top of the 

 main-mast a storm is brewing. 



One each of the Glaucous Gull and tlu' 

 Klack-hacked Gull wei'e observed, and several 

 adult and young Herring Gulls came near tljc 

 vessel otf tlie Shetland Islands. 



Fidmars were first seen in about 40° west 

 longitude, and thence until the vessel readied 

 the •")tli parallel, about 80 miles (Danish) from 

 Slietland Islands, they were more abundant 

 tlian tlie Kitliwakes. After entering the 

 Vorth Sea only one example was seen. Tlieso 

 birds were very eager for anything that was 

 thrown from the vessel, hut they would always 

 .alight on the water before making any effort 

 to obtain it. Even if a coveted bit had sunk 

 below tlie surface they would firstaliglit before 

 diving after it. This was in contrast to tlie 

 liabit of the (4ulls, who were often seen to 

 dive directly from the wing. 



Mr Hagerup once put a piece of salt pork on 

 a fish-hook, and allowed it to trail after tlie 

 vessel, and in a short time a multitude of Ful- 

 inir's bail gathered about it. When any of 

 tbe birds caught tlie liait they at once tiew 

 into the air, but invaiiably let go before the 



hook was fastened to them. Tlie.se birds are, 

 however, sometimes captured in this manner. 

 One was secured by Mr. Hagerup, through be- 

 coming entangled in tlie fisliing-line. About 

 this bird he writes thus': " For a few days I 

 kept it in a dog kennel and gave it pork to eat, 

 but it refused the food. I then allowed it the 

 freedom of the deck, lirst clipping its wings, 

 but still it refused to eat. 



The walk of tliis Fulmar was even more 

 avvkward than a (I. ill's, and the bird seemed 

 more helpless, though a young sporting dog 

 onboard soon gained a respert for the bird's 

 bill. 



Whenever a wave swept the deck the Fulmar 

 splashed in it witli evident delight, and wlicn 

 one wave, larger and stronger than its fellows, 

 broke away the sliip's railing the bird accepte<l 

 the opportunity to gain freeilom. During the 

 ten days the Fulmar was on board the ship it 

 ate very little food, almost none. Between 

 :Ui° and 20° west longitude a number of birds 

 were in sight, mingled with the Fulmars, that 

 Mr. Hagerup supposed, fnnn their size and 

 color, to be Manx Shearwater. 



A small duck was observed sitting on the 

 water in about :5S° west loiigitiule. WIm-ii dis- 

 turbed by the vessel it flew northward. 



An adult male Blackbird {Tnnliis mcnild) 



and several small birds pissed the ves.sel when 



south and southwest of the Faroe Islands. 



These birds were heading soiUlnvard. 



Mntifjcjitr ( 'hfnuhfrl'itii. 

 Cjiuilirulue, Mass. 



Probable Addition to the Avifauna 

 of Kansas. 



A young male Golden-eye was shot fioin a 



small flock, on December 14, 18110, near the 



Neosho River, several miles from IJurlington, 



Kansas. The diagnostic wing markings are 



obscure; the reddish cohn- of the beak is Imt 



faintly defined; the head shows no iridescent 



markings, whatever, but there is a very 



marked crest on frontal and on ocidput, and 



the specimen may be reasonably (•onsidered as 



adding Barrow's (iolden-eye to the Kansas list 



of birds, on the authority of an opinion which 



reads as follows: 



Washinotox, Dec. 2:!. 



Dear Sin, — .Vs well as I can judge from the 

 description and outlines, your identification is 

 correct, and there is no reason wliy C. ixhiiidica 

 should not be found in Kansas. 



Very truly yours, 



KI.I.IOTT corEs. 

 /'. /.'. I'r„l„„li,. 



