4 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 56 



where we saw them flying into and out of inaccessible crevices in a 

 precipitous rocky clifl:'. In habits and general appearance they closely 

 resemble the common Puffins of the Atlantic coast. We had no time 

 to devote to their study and did not make any efforts to secure their 

 eggs, being too busy with other more desirable things. 



^THIA CRISTATELLA 



Crested Auklet 



We did not find this species so abundant as we expected among 

 the islands, probably because we did not spend enough time at the 

 proper places. W'e saw a few among the Puffins at the entrance to 

 Unimak Pass and several flocks among the rafts of Least Auklets 

 in the harbor at Kiska Island. The Crested Auklets flew in large 

 compact flocks, often containing forty or fifty birds, and could be 

 easily recognized by their larger size and wholly gray appearance. 



Their manner of flight, size, color and crests have suggested the 

 local name of " sea quail " from a fancied resemblance to the Cali- 

 fornia Quail. They were apparently breeding among the masses of 

 large loose rocks and boulders at the base of some high cliffs near the 

 entrance to Kiska Harbor ; we saw birds flying out and saw droppings 

 and feathers in the remote crevices under the rocks, but their eggs 

 were too well hidden to see and were entirely inaccessible under the 

 large rocks. 



iETHIA PUSILLA 

 Least Auklet 



These interesting little birds, the smallest of the Alcidas, were first 

 seen at the entrance to Unimak Pass among the Puffins and other 

 sea birds, which gave us our first impressions of Aleutian bird life. 

 There were a number of small flocks constantly in sight, rising readily 

 in front of the ship or diving like a flash if we came too near. But 

 it was not until we reached Kiska Harbor that we saw them in real 

 abundance. One smooth foggy afternoon Mr. Beck and I took the 

 skiflf and went out towards the entrance of the harbor to collect sea 

 birds. In the outer harbor we found Least Auklets congregating 

 in immense flocks on what was probably their feeding ground. There 

 were thousands and thousands of them swinging about us in great 

 clouds like swarms of bees, or mosquitoes, and great rafts of them 

 sitting in the water. Their diminutive size, short chunky bodies and 

 the rapid motion of their little wings suggested bumble bees rather 

 than birds as they bounced along over the little waves in their haste 

 to get away. They kept up a constant twittering which from such a 



