NO. 32 BIRDS OF ALEUTIAN ISLANDS BENT 5 



vast multitude of birds created quite a volume of sound. They dove 

 like lightning, disappearing so quickly that I could not see how it was 

 done ; but I saw them swimming under water using their wings and 

 progressing rapidly. They are sociable little fellows and if one was 

 wounded one or two others would usually return and hover about 

 it, or settle on the water near it. T thmk they were also nesting 

 under the rocks at the base of the cliffs with the Crested Auklets. 



SYNTHLIBORAMPHUS ANTIQUUS 



Ancient Murrelet 



These pretty little birds were more or less common in all of the 

 harbors where we anchored, usually well in shore, in small flocks of 

 from four to six birds, swimming rapidly in compact flocks, but 

 usually so lined out that not more than one could be killed at a shot. 

 When hard pressed they dive by plunging quickly forward, some- 

 times, when greatly alarmed, jumping clear out of the water and 

 diving head first. They do not remain under long and suddenly 

 appear on the surface without causing a ripple. They have a shrill, 

 faint whistling note. 



We did not find their breeding places but the natives at Nazan 

 Bay, Atka Island, had eggs which they had taken from holes in the 

 cHffs at no great distance. 



CEPPHUS COLUMBA 



Pigeon Guillemot 



This western counterpart of our eastern " sea pigeon " was seen 

 in all suitable localities among the various islands, called by the 

 same name and similar in habits to our eastern bird. The black 

 markings in the white wing patches were quite conspicuous as field 

 marks. 



Wherever there were loose rocks piled up on the beaches around 

 the harbors, we saw these Guillemots flying out from the shores and 

 circling about us close to the water or sitting in little groups on the 

 rocks, under which their nests were too well hidden for us to find, 

 or too inaccessible to reach without the help of several men with 

 crowbars. They were particularly numerous about the rocky shores 

 of Kiska Jiarbor on Kiska Island, where the Least and Crested 

 Auklets and Pacific Eiders were breeding. The breeding birds were 

 in full summer phunage but we saw many in the mottled changmg 

 plumage and shot one in practically full winter plumage as late as 

 June 15. On June i8 one female was taken containing an egg ready 

 for laying. 



