74 JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



absolute comfort. The eggs were laid right on the rocks, in the 

 crevices among the boulders, some of them in plain sight and others 

 partiall}' concealed in shaded niches. On this 3rd daj^ of August, 

 the breeding was almost over, but there were still many eggs un- 

 hatched and apparently sound, while not a few addled eggs were 

 seen. We were able to find a few young birds hidden in the dark 

 nooks of the rocks, and these appeared to be not much frightened 

 when they were drawn out into the light and examined. They 

 were about as large as chickens ten days old. While we were thus 

 engaged the adult lairds flew over our heads with some apprehen- 

 sion as to what our intentions might be, but for the most part the 

 flocks had taken themselves off to some distance from the island, 

 and were seen hovering about afraid to come very near to us. I 

 judge that the colony of Razor-bills here must number 200 birds, at 

 least. On this rocky island, seven miles south of the nearest point 

 of Grand Manan, we saw one Song Sparrow, who appeared to be at 

 home there, and who was very shy and apprehensive at our ap- 

 proach. There was no material on the ledge for nest building, but 

 if the bird had been staying there, he had found a living among the 

 seaweed, where insects of various kinds must be pkntiful and where 

 seeds might also be gathered. 



All around this region are Herring Gulls by the thousand, nest- 

 ing on the southern end of Grand Manan and on several of the out- 

 lying islands. On Three Islands, where there is an abundance of 

 dead trees, we saw many of the Gulls sitting on the bare branches, 

 a sight that is rare enough in the vicinity of Casco Bay. On more 

 than one of these islands the Gulls have the habit of building their 

 nests in trees, where they lay their eggs and rear their families as 

 successfully as the others, which follow the general rule of putting 

 their nests on the ground. In the vicinity of the Murre Ledges al- 

 most every Gull I saw was the Great Black-backed species, fully 

 one-third larger than the Herring Gulls, and in every way a stronger 

 and nobler bird. In their flight they were majestic, as they soared 

 and wheeled above and in advance of our boat. These are 1)irds 

 which breed somewhat fartlier north, though perhaps not so very far 



